>What do nosema eat?

Juanse, as Christina said, the spores apparently do not need to eat.  It is
the "vegetative" stage that absorbs nutrients and energy from the cell.
The nosema organism moves next to the bee ventricular cell membrane, and
"steals" ATP from the bee (ATP is the energy-transfer currency in our
bodies).  This stealing of ATP is what makes infected bees hungrier, and
less able to properly work their wing muscles.

The organism also need protein to build its cells--this would also be
absorbed from the cytoplasm.  But of even more import (as mentioned by
Christina) is the need for the bee to accelerate its replacement of
epithelial cells, which, as with other livestock infected by gut parasites,
can cause a major protein drain, resulting in poorer growth.

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

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