Bob,

I've been following your discussion with Brian re corn pollen with interest.
It is amazing how different the situations appear to be in your two states!
In one, bees apparently rarely collect corn pollen, and in the other they
pack combs full of it.

> We see hive populations many times dropping fast when corn starts to
tassel. However
usually only when the bees are surrounded by huge corn acreage with little
other pollen sources.

I'm trying to sort out why N ceranae can be such a problem to some colonies,
yet not to others.  Your statement above may be a clue.  N ceranae appears
to be a major problem when the bees are under nutritional stress--read that,
lack of protein.

Corn, and sunflower, pollen are poor protein sources due to incomplete amino
acid balance.  It may be that nosema causes problems then due to
malnutrition of the colonies.

Randy Oliver

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