>It's worth noting that as far as I know, the larvae isn't known to have
intestinal microbial flora,
Dean, I don't have time to check at the moment, but I doubt that that is
true, especially since some experiments have shown that probiotic
inoculation can be used to protect bee larvae from infection by AFB and
chalkbrood.
The larva does shed its gut when it pupates (or is it when the pupa
ecloses?), but in any case, the adult bee emerges with a relatively sterile
gut until it chews through the cappings.
Randy Oliver
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