From the reports from beekeepers who participated in the trials in 2011 and 2012, administering an iron supplement to bees has the following effects:

•       Higher mite fall
•       Bees fly more actively
•       Bees remove more dead and weakened bees from the hives
•       Reproduction decreases
•       Bees live for longer

Brief explanation

The high mite fall can be explained by the example of the tick (see tick model)

The more active flying behavior can be explained by an improvement in the energy supply (see section Research).

The increase in the removal of dead and weakened bees from the hives cannot be explained directly.

The decrease in reproduction can be explained by the suppression of the manganese effect (see section Models of bee decline).

The longer life span of the bees and the better survival during the winter can be explained by better health or by other, as yet, unknown effects.