POOR NUTRITION HAS BEEN CITED AS ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS INVOLVED IN BOTH HONEY BEE AND NATIVE BEE DECLINES REPORTED OVER THE LAST DECADE. NUTRITION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN MITIGATING EFFECTS OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSORS ON BEES. SINCE REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT BEE DECLINES BEGAN, MUCH EFFORT HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO RESEARCHING THE CAUSES OF SUCH DECLINES, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES HAVE ADDRESSED THE UNDERLYING, FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO NUTRITION. AS HONEY BEE NUTRITION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSORS ON BEES, EFFORTS TO IMPROVE BEE NUTRITION ARE CRITICAL.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO IMPROVE BEE NUTRITION BY BUILDING A DATABASE OF THE POLLEN NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS (ESPECIALLY PHYTOSTEROLS), UNDERSTANDING PHYTOSTEROL REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON COLONY HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE, AND INVESTIGATING IMPACTS OF STEROL BIOSYNTHESIS INHIBITOR FUNGICIDES ON PLANT POLLEN STEROL AVAILABILITY AND BEE HEALTH.OBJECTIVE1. ANALYZE PHYTOSTEROL PROFILES, AMINO ACIDS AND METABOLITES IN POLLENS FROM 100 MAJOR BEE POLLINATED CROPS, PREDOMINANT NATURAL FORAGE AND COMMONLY USED ORNAMENTAL PLANTS AVAILABLE TO BEES IN NORTH AMERICA.OBJECTIVE 2. INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF 24-METHYLENECHOLESTEROL ON (A) HONEY BEE COLONY GROWTH AND SURVIVAL AND (B) HONEY BEE PHYSIOLOGY - ACROSS ALL STAGES OF THE LIFE CYCLE (EGG, LARVA, PUPA AND ADULT).OBJECTIVE 3. EXAMINE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF SBI FUNGICIDES ON POLLENS AND BEES BY (A) EXAMINING THE IMPACTS OF SBI FUNGICIDES ON POLLEN PHYTOSTEROL COMPOSITION (B) INVESTIGATING INDIRECT EFFECTS OF TWO MAJOR SBI FUNGICIDES (PROPICONAZOLE AND METCONAZOLE) ON HONEY BEE PHYSIOLOGY AND (C) DETERMINING IF STEROL SUPPLEMENTATION CAN MITIGATE EFFECTS OF SBI FUNGICIDES, IF ANY.