>In other words, the work on nutrition is ongoing, and it's generally
agreed that nutrition encompasses a lot more than simple rapid growth

Pete, I'm in complete agreement with you that at the current time, a diet
of mixed natural pollens is the best for bees.  No argument, never was.

But please don't put words into my mouth.  I'm not talking about "simple
rapid growth."  Our business success (and that of many commercial
beekeepers that I know) depends upon keeping our colonies healthy.  If we
only focused upon "simple rapid growth" we'd all already be out of business.

I am not speaking about theory here--I am speaking from long practical
experience.  Learning how to supplementally feed protein, and finding
better formulations, has completely changed my bee management.  Previously,
I needed to transport my hives out of my area during the summer in order
for them to remain healthy enough to pollinate almonds the next spring (due
to better forage where I moved them).  Many of my friends still do this.

But I am now able to avoid that huge carbon load to our environment by
having a much smaller weight of protein feed shipped to me.  By
supplementing the scant natural pollen available in my area with a good
protein supplement, my colonies remain robust and health, and better deal
with varroa/viruses.

Please allow me to repeat:  the two best indicators for colony health are
worker population and colony weight gain.  These two performance metrics
reflect the total calculus of all factors impacting colony health.  I find
that appropriate supplemental feeding improves both of these metrics
substantially.

> Would it be  possible to find a "additive" that would stimulate  Immune
> response


Thank you Dick for your previous response to the above.  Not all understand
that in a healthy colony under ideal circumstances, immune expression in a
colony would be downregulated, not upregulated.

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

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