New evidence favoring natural diets for bees:

In this study, p-coumaric acid and quercetin, ubiquitous phytochemicals in the natural diet of
honey bees, generally have a beneficial effect on honey bee longevity, most dramatically in the case of
dietary quercetin in the presence of two pyrethroid insecticides. 

Previous studies have shown that,
in honey bees, malnutrition can increase sensitivity to pesticides [36], reduce immunocompetence [37]
and alter gene expression in protein metabolism and oxidation-reduction in fat body [38]. 

Together, these findings suggest that substituting sugar syrups for honey or yeast/soy flour patties for pollen
may not only cause malnutrition but may also have unanticipated effects on lifespan in the presence
of environmental stressors. 

Liao, Ling-Hsiu, Wen-Yen Wu, and May R. Berenbaum. "Impacts of Dietary Phytochemicals in the Presence and Absence of Pesticides on Longevity of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)." Insects 8.1 (2017): 22.

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