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> Are you saying that substandard pollen causes EFB? If this were true then perhaps targeted pollen supplements could cure it?
I don't think it's a matter of poor nutrition *causing* EFB. More accurately, poor nutrition might make bees *susceptible* to infection. And better nutrition, better conditions, would have the opposite effect: preventing and/or clearing up infection. Not every infection, of course, but generally. An seasoned beekeeper told me "nothing straightens out bees' problems like a good honey flow."
When doing frozen brood hygienic tests, we found that during a honey flow, ALL the colonies appeared hygienic. Presumably extended periods of poor weather, or poor quality food, would have side effects such as brood disorders. By the way, I don't think pollen supplements are the answer to nutritional deficits. This whole topic was described in great detail in:
DeGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria, et al. "Honey bee colonies provided with natural forage have lower pathogen loads and higher overwinter survival than those fed protein supplements." Apidologie 47.2 (2016): 186-196.
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