TECH Signal 324
Honeybees compensate for pollen's poor amino acid balance by adjusting intake and larval food
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Honeybees regulate their food intake to avoid excess amino acids and convert pollen into balanced nutrition for larvae.
This research explains how honeybees cope with pollen's nutritional mismatch, which can guide decisions on planting for pollinator health. It also reveals a post-digestive feedback mechanism that controls food intake, a principle that could be applied to adaptive systems.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
Honeybees can detect when pollen has an imbalanced amino acid profile and adjust their food intake to avoid excesses.
Most pollen from 99 UK plant species is a poor match for honeybee tissue amino acid composition.
Bee bread and royal jelly have a more balanced amino acid profile than individual pollen sources, providing better nutrition for larvae.
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