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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
Re: Pollen vs Beebread
From:
randy oliver <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 11:20:29 -0700
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When I look through a microscope at 400x, pollen grains appear to empty out
in the midgut.  I'm not clear on those that make it undigested to the
hindgut--whether they ever get digested by bacteria.  The grains do not get
digested in beebread--they remain intact.

I suspect that given enough time in the hindgut, that the resident bacteria
slowly digest at least part of the remaining exines, perhaps producing
metabolites of use to the bees.  Since bees appear to hold those pollen
remnants in their hindguts for some time, it implies that they gain some
value from it.

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

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