Is it a good idea to put pollen patties on right now? I think my bees have enough pollen but it has been over a month since I have been able to actually pull many frames. I dont want to trigger brood rearing if it is a bad idea.
Also is there any easy recipes to make pollen patties myself. I have no real pollen and have never made patties. Should I have real pollen to mix? Should I order something? Can I use soy? Any tips?
Thanks
Bee-nuts
I would say it's too late in the year to be adding pollen patties, as the pollen is used for brood rearing. I feed pollen patties a little earlier in the fall for fall brood rearing for over wintering, but I'm done with all that by middle of October. I also feed sugar syrup with the pollen patties, for going with the pollen patties for brood rearing and also to help them build more cured stores for winter. I let them have the time from mid October or so on to seal up the breaks in the propolis and brace/bur combs the way they like it, and to get any open nectar/sugar water cured before the weather turns too cold and damp.
When I make up pollen patties, I use only pollen with sugar water added until it mixes to a consistancy of bread dough. I then smear this into the top bars of brood box.
Every beek does things differently than other beeks so I advise getting input from multiple people and then make your own decisions for how you will manage your hives.
Don't feed pollen or sub before winter solstice. It's counter productive. First warm spell after Christmas, you can start pollen and feed, but watch out for swarms in March. They will build up earlier than normal.
@ RayMarler & iddee,
OK now I'm confused. Should we feed bees pollen in fall, for population build up into winter, or after December, for population build up into Spring?
Of course I'm asking this knowing there is a ton of pollen in one of my hives.
Hemlock, if you feed pollen in the fall, it should be done early, before the bees begin to think deeply about winter clustering. Usually, most bees will have gathered an enormous amount of pollen, getting ready for winter. Personally, I think that most people don't need to feed pollen patty in the wintertime. The bees have been busy all summer doing this work. Remember, pollen feeding is to stimulate brood rearing. One does not want the queen to begin brood rearing while getting close to winter cluster. Spring is the time when extra pollen is required, or if the bees have gathered enough prior, not required. The beekeeper gives extra in the spring, "just in case" the bees don't have enough. Don't feed pollen now, it is long too late. This should have been done I would say beginning of September, if done at all. One doesn't want brood rearing when the bees have to cluster because of cold, the brood would die of cold. Hope this may help a little. Have that greatest of days, to love and live and share with beautiful health. Cindi
@ Cindi,
I see, the brood will risk being outside the cluster late in Fall. Got it, Thank you.
Going back to what Bee-nuts said about source of pollen. Can we use a pollen trap for a few weeks early in the year and then feed it back to them next Spring?
Hemlock, you can gather your own pollen with pollen traps, if the colony is strong only. When gathering pollen we were taught to only leave the traps on for a couple of days, remove, let the bees gather more pollen for themselves and then give it back to them. They need the pollen and lots of it, if it is a strong colony to feed their babies, very important. Have that great, most wonderful day, health. Cindi
Like Cindi said, pollen is for brood rearing. You feed it only when you want more brood. That is not during cluster time.
@ cindi,
So is that why beeks use substitute pollen? Taking the bees pollen sounds risky.
Thanks.
@ iddee,
Do you feed your bees pollen in Spring even if they sill have stored pollen?
Thank you.
If they need it, I feed it.
If I am going to use the hive for splits, pollination, or queen rearing, I feed it, no matter how much they have. The fact that it is coming in makes the queen lay more, thus more bees hatching earlier.
When you feed it in the spring, the swarms will start sooner, since the pollen started coming in earlier and the buildup is sooner and faster.
@ iddee,
I am considering splitting my 2 hives in Spring so a early build up would be good. When you DO feed pollen what month do you start?
Anytime after Dec. 22, winter solstice, will work. I normally start the first 50 plus degree day in Feb. Others, especially queen breeders, start just after Christmas.
Once you start, you must keep feeding and giving pollen until it is available naturally. The extra brood will eat more than the winter stores will provide.
@ iddee,
It sounds like I had better brush up on early swarm prevention then. Thanks for the information. It's much appreciated. aun Aprendo.
Ah, Hemlock, Iddee is so correct when he says that you begin to feed the pollen, you must not stop. This causes the brood rearing to become heavy and if the pollen is stopped, then the bees are unprepared for this, and loss of brood could occur. In our area, we usually stop the pollen feeding by the end of April, by then the pollen from nature is coming in with copious amounts. But that will depend totally from area to area. The commercial beekeepers here begin to feed about the beginning of February. Have that most wonderful and great day, health. Cindi
@ cindi,
I'll talk to the club members to see when they start & stop feeding their bees pollen. Speaking of which, I found a bag of Megabee from last year. Might it still be good or should I toss it? I was checking some stored equipment and found it behind a box.
Hemlock, no clue if it would be good or bad. C.
It seems if you are going to make a pollen substitute (or whatever the correct term is for the following) it is best to at least have some real pollen in the mixture. Is there a time of year that one should or should not trap pollen. I ask this because in early spring my bees bring in tons of box elder pollen which from what I have read produces more bees per pound of pollen than any pollen (I read this in an old book). However, is this a bad time to take pollen when they are building up or is it a matter of inspecting colonies reserves and deciding that brood rearing will not be affected by trapping pollen for a certain period.
Thanks
bee-nuts
As with honey, how much you leave is what is important, not how much you take. Leave what the bees need and take part of the rest.
Bee-nuts, in our area, we do not gather pollen during the spring build up, the bees need EVERYTHING that they can get to feed their brood. It is after the summer solstace, when the queen begins to slow down a little, that the pollen is then gathered. At that point in time, one can feel quite assured that they willl not be robbing the colonies half to death by taking some limited supplies of pollen. Hope that may clarify things a little bit. I am sure that this is the way most people work when they are pollen collecting within their colonies. Have that great and most wonderful day, with health. Cindi