> If the foragers do make the decisions about what pollen to collect -- and > we know they don't always make wise choices -- could chemicals associated > with the pollen not influence that decision, even if they do not consume it? Certainly could, but only if the chemical were detectable by the bee in some way, such as by smell, taste, or effect (such as stimulation). The research that I cited indicated that bees detected nicotine in nectar by its effect, and would self regulate the dose (contrary to the instance in Croatia described by Dr. Carson). But since it is unlikely that pollen foragers eat much pollen, then in that case they would need to absorb the chemical cutaneously in order to detect it. Could happen, but at the low concentrations in pollen, and the relatively low actual contact to body surfaces, may be a stretch to think that they are feeling an effect. But possible, yes. Randy Oliver *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm