To Dick Allen and fellow beekeepers,

Dick quoted The Hive and Honeybee, about lactose and raffinose being toxic
to bees, yet one researcher recommends soybean flour (containing raffinose)
and dried milk (which contains lactose) as ingredients in pollen replacer.

Dick's conclusion:
>I’m confused.

Yes, I'm confused too.  I found a reference from Oregon State U, stating
that soybeans contain 0.1 to 0.9 percent raffinose.  Perhaps this is
concentration is too low to be fatal to honeybees.  Soybean flour is one of
the standard ingredients in pollen replacer, so it is not immediately
terminal in its toxicity.

On the other hand, milk powder has quite a high concentration of lactose, I
believe over 50%.  And milk powder is not included in most pollen replacer
recipes.

From what I have gathered from this list, pollen replacer can be used for a
few weeks, then real pollen must replace the replacer.  Perhaps this is
due, in part, to the toxic effects of raffinose (and lactose).

Cheers,
Kyle