Bees craft nutrient-balanced larval food from mixed pollen, study finds

Honeybees mix pollen into nurse-bee secretions to create a balanced bee bread and royal jelly, enabling larvae to receive a complete amino-acid profile; when pollen sources fail to match bees' needs, adults adjust intake and total consumption. The study finds most single-pollen sources mismatch bee amino-acid needs, with histidine levels steering feeding. Nurse bees' processing of pollen into bee bread and royal jelly helps colonies overcome nutritional gaps, underscoring the value of diverse pollen sources for pollinator health.