> >One possible treatment is dried kefir, a probiotic health drink that
> helps people who are lactose intolerant.
>

Actually, I believe that bees are lactose intolerant.  I think I have read
that lactose is one of the sugars that they do not digest properly.

"Substances without a nutritional value for bees are the unsweet tasting
carbohydrates dulcitol, erythritol, fucose, inositol, LACTOSE, mannose,
melibiose, rhamnose and sorbose."  From Hive and Honey Bee, Nutrition of
the Adult Honey Bee, original reference is in German.

Some of these sugars are actually toxic for bees (but not lactose).  But
interestingly the next paragraph goes on to describe how inositol can
extend brood rearing and is present in brewers yeast.  Seems to contradict
that reference (next paragraph is a different reference).

I and others have put milk powder into pollen substitute which has some
lactose.  But I avoided whey powder because it has a high lactose content.

Stan

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