Older A. mellifera workers (>20 days past eclosure) focus on foraging for pollen, nectar, propolis and water (Robinson, 1992; Calderone, 1998). Although these behavioral shifts might be expected to result in changes in the microbiota composition, Martinson et al. (2012) reported that the characteristic phylotypes were maintained throughout the worker’s life. The difference between our results with A. cerana and Martinson et al.