Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees - Part 2
Author(s)
Irene Keller, Peter Fluri and Anton Imdorf
Published Date
6/1/2005
Abstract
The consumption of high-quality pollen induces the development of the hypopharyngeal glands in young honey bee workers. As protein-rich secretions from these glands are an important component of larval food, a direct relationship between pollen supply and brood rearing can be expected. Consequently, the availability of pollen is likely to be a central parameter influencing the development of honey bee colonies.