>
>
>
> Nutrition and nutritional deficiencies are poorly understood....an
> "adequate" diet is a fairly vague concept.  Colony weight and number of
> bees have been used to quickly evaluate whether a colony is strong or not.
> But there are other metrics we could consider. Some of the effects of
> nutritional deficiencies are fairly subtle.   Shortened queen lifespan,
> poor foraging behaviors, "slow to build" colonies, spotty brood, and of
> course increased susceptibility to diseases and chemical stress (all the
> 'cides) can be observed if something is lacking in the diet.
>
>
Heather Matilla presented some of her research into the effect of
nutritional deficiencies at EAS.  The paper she published in April is here:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0121731#sec007

Some of the results:

 - Adult weights were lowest when larvae were reared in pollen-limited
colonies
 - Adult lifespan was shortest when larvae were reared in pollen-limited
colonies
- Foraging activity was reduced when reared in pollen-limited colonies
- Dance activity and precision were reduced when reared in pollen-limited
colonies

Adam
Barrie, Ontario

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