My understanding is that bees conserve protein by various methods, one of which is the consumption (eating) of larvae which turn out to develop unsucessfully for various reasons including malnutrition.   

This idea seems to be pretty well accepted by beekeepers.  What I am wondering is if it is true, and what is known about the process -- and its efficiency.

When hives are starved for protein, but would otherwise be brood rearing, they will often have eggs and some small larvae, but little older brood.  I am assuming that the developing brood simply could not be fed and were aborted, and in the process, eaten.  The same colony, when given adequate protein will then develop a normal brood pattern.

So, I am wondering if the protein in the canabalized larvae is actually conserved, and if so, how efficiently?  We often see pupae thrown out the door, so apparently there are limits.

This is of interest to me since my belief is that the reason we see less brood in protein-short colonies is that they are constantly trying to raise brood, failing and repeating the process and that protein feeding merely allows attempted brood rearing to proceeed to completion, rather than initiating increased attempts.  

The nutritional state of the queen is also likley to affect the number and quantity of eggs laid, methinks, so I suspect there is some additionjal stimulation fro having adequate protein in the hive, but I wonder how much of the increased brood observed is due to increased starts and how much is merely increasd success of an already occuring activity.

Does anyone have any further information or references on this topic?

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