Hello Lloyd & All,
Thanks for the post and sharing your pollen information with us.  I would
like for the sake of discussion express a different viewpoint than the one
Seeley has.
Bob
 1. According to Seeley, the trigger for substantial brood rearing comes
from
 incoming, not stored, pollen.

I personally can't come to the same conclusion as Seeley.  I assume we are
talking about the coming of spring. When warmer weather arrives and the bees
start flying thats the trigger I believe causes brood rearing to increase.
However if a hive didn't have enough stored pollen then it would appear to
be the trigger. In my opinion hives with stored pollen don't collect huge
amounts they don't need in the spring. After spring pollen arrives pollen
patties are usually a waste of time as the bees won't touch the patties.  I
looked thru two text and no major text says as Seeley does that incoming
pollen is THE trigger for substantial brood rearing. Early sugar syrup can
be a bigger trigger in my opinion if there is stored pollen in the hive.

A commercial  producer I know feeds pollen  to his bees beginning in
November to get them ready for the almond  pollination, in late January.
While they may have enough stores to support "substantial" brood rearing,
they will not use them until pollen is being collected.

I think we may have to work out what the word "substantial" brood rearing
means.  We don't get Willow pollen until late March in Missouri but brood
rearing has been going on for about six weeks with stored pollen . Stored or
fresh ,pollen is pollen ,and will feed bees. Pollen suppliment is different
but you didn't say your friend fed suppliment.

 The speculation is that bees will not begin "substantial" brood
 rearing based solely on stored pollen because they know that could be
 quickly exhausted and then the entire hive might die!

The above  statement is not in line with objectively understanding bee
behavior.
 Dr.Norman Gary,Ph.d.,professor of entomology and Apiculture.*quote*

 Bees like other insects, are reacting like tiny robots to signals (stimuli)
in their immediate environment (external and internal) because their
nervious systems are "hard wired" or "programed" genetically to react in
this manner.
It is only natural for that we as humans tend to ascribe certain human
charactoristics  to bees. Bees are sometimes considered  to be ANGRY when
they  sting, clever when they build comb, or ambitious when they forage for
long hours. These words simply are not appropriate to describe an INSECT'S
behavior.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison