The protein balance of the honey bee worker

Abstract

For Apis mellifera workers, protein requirements and consumption, digestion, intestinal absorption and utilisation all depend on the worker's age and functional status in the system of division of labor within the colony. Workers at the stage of nurses play a pivotal role not only in protein digestion but also in its distribution. They are well equipped for digestion of pollen, are rich in protein and produce large amounts of jelly, which they distribute to almost all members of the colony. -Author