This question was raised in Australia in the early 1990's when we started
using irradiated pollen. There was work done to show that the pollen was quite
satisfactory for brood rearing. It has been found since then that the storage
life of pollen can be greatly enhanced by irradiation. It has been used
successfully in Australia incorporated into protein patties on pollen deficient
honey flows to maintain brood. If not feed, then the bees go broodless.
Reply:
Okay, then! How was the pollen then shown to be satisfactory for broodrearing? Did the bee rework it somehow? Is so how reworked? Any beneficial organisms added to aid fermentation for digestion by young larva/bees? No changes needed to be made by the bees? You say successfully incorporated into protein patties, so was it mixed with normal honey that could have had active lactic acid bacteria in it to make it useable for digestion? If not mixed with honey for protein patties, then exactly how was it mixed for good usable natural patties? Any unnatural foreign ingrediants to a beehive or bees used?
Dee A. Lusby
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