> Allen, see my upcoming article in ABJ.   As atmospheric CO2 levels 
> increase, the protein content of plant matter decreases.

Well, I am a doubter when it comes to any CO2 story, but would be interested 
to know what percentage changes are observed and how they are observed. 
Much of the 'research' related to global warming is being found to be more 
political than scientific.

Perhaps that effect is significant.  I don't know, but I don't need a CO2 
explanation when I look around and see all the farmland groomed fence to 
fence and fallow no longer in evidence.  Fallow used to be 50% of farmland 
around here, and now there is zero, except for the occasional chemically 
fallowed field.  Where the farmland ends, urban areas begin, with chemical 
sprays much in evidence.  There are still the valleys and pasture, but many 
years, they are overgrazed, and when they are not, the plants are 
recovering.

> This is a common observation now among commercial beeks.  Colonies really 
> respond to major pollen supplement feeding.

Beekeepers usually assume that feeding should only be done when a shortage 
is in evidence.

What amazed me was that these bees were on a great flow.  They produced 
almost 90 lbs in a month and during that time still ate the supplement at a 
good rate.

I'm thinking that all our summer pollen is deficient, since there is no tree 
pollen after June.  Coincidentally, that is usually when our build-up tapers 
off, and late splits usually do not winter well.  I guess I'm going to find 
out when I winter these.

>  I hit a yard of hungry bees a few weeks ago--they ate the first 3 lb 
> patty in a week!  I'm currently building up a yard of 72 singles for a 
> winter trial, by supplemental feeding.  Virtually no natural feed around 
> for the past two months.  The broodnests look like colonies in early 
> spring--lots of young larvae
> "swimmin' in jelly."   This is in dry Calif, where we have no rain, and no 
> fall asters or goldenrod.

Exactly.  One thing I keep telling people who think that patty feeding 
stimulates brood rearing is that maybe, sometimes, it does, BUT the big 
effect they see is that the bees don't tear out or give up on what they 
already have overnight or during windy or rainy spells.  The result (Duh) is 
more sealed brood, but the conclusion that it is primarily due to 
stimulation -- in my mind -- is questionable.  People see what they want to 
see, and they have stimulation on their mind, not the effects of good 
development, sound health and continuous and complete nutrition.

> I'm not sure whether the tough covering of pollen (the exine) is an issue, 
> since bees don't try to digest it--they apparently gain access to the
> protein via the germination pore, so the digestion may be more enzymatic 
> than via physical rupturing.

Understood, but in the case of severe gut damage from nosema, does that 
mechanism function? 

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