> > >Another conjecture, can pollen in the bee's gut be regurgitated after
> > being digested or partially digested as food for the larvae?
> >
> > My data indicate that that does not happen.  (Randy's answer)
>
> What about that funny little apparatus between the stomach and the gut
called the proventriculus  (I think, I have had quite a bit to eat and drink
today).  I thought the purpose of that was to prevent pollen from entering
the gut (presumably so it could be regurgitated without contamination).  Is
bee bread made simply by the addition of honey to pollen pellets, or is the
pollen (or a portion of the pollen) acted upon by some enzymes in the
stomach?

I recall that the proventriculus was the subject of posts earlier this year
with a paper referenced that seemed to prove that it removed pollen from the
honey.

Stan

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