2.2.3. Amount of Capped Honey in the Beehives

The results regarding the amount of capped honey in bee combs are presented in Figure 4. As this indicator is directly related to the strength of honey bee colonies (Figure 1), no significant difference was observed between the experimental groups and the control group in the period after the first treatment (August 2019) until the approach of the autumn (September 2019). During the first spring survey in 2020, there were more significant differences in the values of this indicator. About two months after the second treatment (May 2020), there were significant differences between the experimental groups and the control group regarding the amount of capped honey in the beehives. The experimental groups NH (1.18 ± 0.21 kg) and NHP (1.16 ± 0.10 kg) exceeded with about 490% the control C group (0.20 ± 0.13 kg) (*F* = 77.0395, *df* = 6, *p* = 0.001; *F* = 148.725, *df* = 6, *p* = 0.001, respectively). During the next two measurement periods (in the middle and at the end of May 2020) this trend persisted, as higher values were observed in the experimental NH group, compared to the control C group (*F* = 30.015, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.001; *F* = 62.157, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.001, respectively). During both these periods, the amount of capped honey in the experimental NH group exceeded nearly 4 times this in the control C group. A similar trend was observed between the NHP group and the control C group but with a less pronounced level of significance (Figure 4).

**Figure 4.** Average (±SD) amount of stored capped honey in honey bee colonies treated with NOZE-MAT HERB® and NOZEMAT HERB PLUS® and in an untreated (control) group during 2019 and 2020. Asterisks indicated the level of significance as determined by an analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test. \*: *p* < 0.05, \*\*: *p* < 0.01 compared to the untreated control group.

#### 2.2.4. Stored Pollen Area within the Hives

The stored pollen area is an indicator of the amount of collected pollen in beehives (a quantity that depends on environmental conditions, the needs of the colonies and the number of bees in the colonies). The stored pollen area was evaluated through direct surface measurements of the comb (cm2), and the results are presented in Figure 5. Although the strength of honey bee colonies decreased in all groups, a significant difference was observed between the experimental groups and the control group about 25 days after the first treatment (9 August 2019). Then, the stored pollen area in the experimental groups NH (425 ± 30.8 cm2) and NHP (313 ± 31.3 cm2) exceeded approximately 7 and 5 times, respectively, that in the control C group (63 ± 32.3 cm2) (*<sup>F</sup>* = 53.680, *df* = 8, *<sup>p</sup>* = 0.001, *p* < 0.01; *F* = 15.491, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.001, *p* < 0.01, respectively). Significantly higher values of this indicator in the two experimental groups compared to the control were observed during the next measurement (the beginning of September 2019) (Figure 5). Then, statistically significant differences were observed between the experimental groups NH and NHP and the control C group (*F* = 53.172, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.003, *p* < 0.01; *F* = 23.835, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.002, *p* < 0.01, respectively). During the next year (2020), the most significant difference between the experimental groups and the control group was observed about two months after the

second treatment (15 May 2020). In terms of stored pollen area, the NH group surpassed by nearly 80% the control C group (ANOVA with Tukey's HSD post hoc test, *F* = 5.631, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.049, *p* < 0.05), while the NHP group exceeded by 170% the control C group (ANOVA with Tukey's HSD post hoc test, *F* = 7.966, *df* = 8, *p* = 0.025, *p* < 0.05) (Figure 5).

**Figure 5.** Average (±SD) stored pollen area (cm2) in honey bee colonies treated with NOZEMAT HERB® and NOZEMAT HERB PLUS® and in an untreated (control) group during 2019 and 2020. Asterisks indicated the level of significance as determined by an analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test. \*: *p* < 0.05, \*\*: *p* < 0.01, compared to the untreated control group.
