>When bees are fed with pollen substitutes, they digest only
25% of the protein in the diet, but this may be due to the use of protein
sources such as soy flour;
they also have greater levels of infection with Nosema.

The above are pretty broad statements, that I'd like to see confirmed.

>Gut microbes of honey bees may be involved in
degradation of structural carbohydrates in pollen, but given the speed that
pollen progresses
through the bee gut, this is unlikely.

I wouldn't be too sure about this.  I spent time yesterday discussing this
with researchers from the Tucson Lab, who are currently investigating this
very thing.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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