The question of bee nutrition may be very closely related to understanding
why bees sometimes thrive, and sometimes perish in apparently similar
circumstances.
 
In particular, I am convinced that our bees here in Central Alberta are
often protein short due to shortage of pollen or poor quality pollen.
 
The article that Nick was offering on his web site some time back was
particularly intriguing in that it mentioned assaying bees in Australia at
various times for body protein content.
 
I have since often wondered how one goes about getting such an assay done,
and what the standard measurements are.  I suppose food labs may well do
this type of work, but unless some previous work, is used to compare, the
measurements would be only relative.
 
Does anyone on this list know where and how to have the necessary protein
measurements made?  It would seem to me that onceb a lab is located,
that any beekeeper or group of beekeepers could monitor the
nutritional status of their hives on a seasonal basis and also evaluate
the effectiveness - or lack thereof in using pollen supplements
and substitutes.
 
Allen