AD>From: Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 14:43:55 -0600 >Subject: Measuring Nutritional Status >Organization: The Beekeepers AD>I have since often wondered how one goes about getting such an assay done, >and what the standard measurements are. I suppose food labs may well do >this type of work, but unless some previous work, is used to compare, the >measurements would be only relative. In testing protein used in bee diets an easy biological test is if the bees will rear drones as they do in most areas in the spring. It is nice to have all that chemical information, but you will find that what makes a difference is how the bees use the material you want to test. You can feed you bees pure whole blood and run the nitrogen tests off the scale, but you will end up with nothing. One way that I have done this is to take 20# of bees and a queen in a large cage, no flight. Or you can use hives during the winter when even if the bees would fly they would find no outside protein sources. And yes if the diet is good they will thrive and rear brood, and many drones and amaze all your beekeeping friends. Of course smaller bee test units would be used in most tests, each to his own.. Twenty pounds of bees in a single hive unit with nothing but empty combs does not look that crowded in the winter.<G> Most would use smaller units and much less bees. The big question is and has always been at what COST? <g> I have found that in commercial beekeeping the cost of labor soon overcomes most attempts to rear bees in the feed lot situation. * As a rule if it was true that bees require or consume 100# of honey per year to maintain themselves, then it would also require 100# of protein in addition to the honey... Here in central California an average field hive will consume 1# to 2# of protein extenders a week and rear normal brood, but if they run out all is set back to day one, so as they consume the protein in ever grater amounts it is necessary to tend them more often with more protein and of course they will also need syrup. ttul Andy- (c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document in any form, or to print for any use. (w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk. --- ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "Not tonight honey..I have a modem."