Hi Bob,

I realize that my question sounded like I was getting in your face.  Please
accept my apologies--curtness is one of my many shortcomings.

You're absolutely right about most aspects of nectar transfer, although I
question your observation that returning foragers actually place nectar in
cells.  Would be easy to test with dyed nectar in an observation hive.

What I was referring to was pollen patties, which we had been discussing,
and whether the protein in them was indeed transferred to the brood nest if
said patties were fed at the top of the colony, as opposed to adjacent to
the brood nest.

There is no natural behavior of bees that I know of to move patty material
from one part of the hive to another.

Since older bees do not digest pollen well if at all, then I wonder if
enough nurse bees will leave the broodnest and go to the patties to eat
them, and thereby transfer the protein to other bees via jelly that they
subsequently produce.

I'm not trying to pick on you, Bob, I'm just being very careful not to
assume anything about what happens in a bee hive.  BTW, I'm currently
writing an article on this very subject, so the literature is fresh in my
overworked and sleep-deprived mind.

Randy Oliver

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