Hi all
I admit to being a dyed in the wool skeptic when it comes to probiotics, supplements, nostrums and the like -- for man, or beast. To me, a proper diet of actual food should meet all the requirements of the organism. All the same, I read with interest all and any work done on these matters. To wit:

Parasaccharibacter apium survived in supplemental diet and was readily consumed by bees. 
It was distributed throughout the hive under field conditions, moving from the pollen patty to hive larvae.
While P. apium did not significantly increase colony brood production, food stores, or foraging rates, it did increase
resistance to Nosema infection. Our data suggest that P. apium may positively impact honey bee health. *

A bit of a let down, I must say. It did almost nothing, by any metrics. But hey, they may be on to something, what do I know? It certainly didn't hurt the bees. On the other hand, livestock producers are notorious for feeding their animals any and everything to boost production. 

Is this what beekeepers should be doing? Certainly those trying to make a living at it would say yes, while those who have bees for the purposes of study and observation of the natural interactions between colonies and environment might have other opinions.

PLB

* Reference:

Corby-Harris, V., et al. "Parasaccharibacter apium, gen. nov., sp. nov., Improves Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Resistance to Nosema." Journal of Economic Entomology (2016): tow012.

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