Dietary Phytochemicals, Honey Bee Longevity and Pathogen Tolerance.

Continued loss of natural habitats with native prairies and wildflower patches is eliminating diverse sources of pollen, nectar and phytochemicals therein for foraging bees. The longstanding plant-pollinator mutualism reiterates the role of phytochemicals in sustaining plant-pollinator relationship and promoting honey bee health. We studied the effects of four phytochemicals-caffeine, gallic acid, kaempferol and -coumaric acid, on survival and pathogen tolerance in the European honey bee, (L.