I said:

>> I don't see it as difficult at all to construct a sterile environment

>> in which to keep a tiny colony of a hundred bees or so and a queen.  
>> Do you see a major hurdles? If so, what would they be?

Peter said:

> May I ask how you would sterilise the bees - or would you allow 
> them to bring in all the outside "microflora and microfauna" 
> with them; if the latter, would this not invalidate the experiment?

I'd start with a patch of sealed brood, a queen, and a few attendants
to tend the queen until the brood hatches.  Nothing's perfect of course,
but it would be as "sterile" as the conditions under which doctors 
would cheerfully cut into your brain.  :)

It would certainly be far far less "contamination" from outside sources
than your typical hive would have, but the proof would be in the samples
of "bee bread" and "brood food" created by the bees.  We'd be able to
see far fewer microflora and microfauna, and see a very different mix
of both than the usual population in a "non-sterile" hive, which would
prove the point just as well.

Perhaps to ensure a lack of microorganisms, we could add something to
the water that would kill any trace levels of growth.  Anti-bacterials
are all the rage in the USA these days.  We'd have to mess with it to
find a level that kills bacteria but does not harm bees.

Whatever level of "sterile" we choose, we should see some specific 
negative impact fairly quickly if microogranisms are mission-critical
to the health and well-being of bee colonies.

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