Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Aroc on April 10, 2020, 10:12:13 PM

Title: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Aroc on April 10, 2020, 10:12:13 PM
Ran into a couple of videos talking about adding wheat flour or even soy flour to either cut with pollen sub. 

Anyone hear of this or do it themselves?  Any drawbacks or advantages?
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: van from Arkansas on April 10, 2020, 11:32:13 PM
Consider:

Wheat 15 percent protein

Soy 70 percent protein

I do not know the total digestible proteins in either wheat or soy by honeybees.  I believe most pollen substitutes contain: soy and yeast extract.  The yeast being packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and carbs.
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Ben Framed on April 11, 2020, 12:01:37 AM
Hello Aroc, I always like to see your post as I love the horse picture.
I am thinking if you have only a few hives, Ultra Bee will go along way. I buy it by the 50 pound bag from Mann Lake.  I really see no need to cut. Now next season, if I have as many hives as I am preparing for, I may consider cutting as long as I know it is still effective for my bees. Up until now, I have seen no reason to cut. Orders over 100 dollars from Mann Lake has no shipping charge, at least that is the way is was a few weeks ago when I ordered several queen excluders.

Blessings,
Phillip Hall

Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Ben Framed on April 11, 2020, 12:03:56 AM
Let me add, the first thing I do is pour the Ultabee into food grade buckets with an air tight lids for keeping it fresh.

Phillip
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Oldbeavo on April 11, 2020, 05:58:51 AM
Soy flour has a much better amino acid profile than wheat flour, better option. What price is soy flour compared with ultrabee?
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Ben Framed on April 11, 2020, 10:34:18 AM
>. Soy flour has a much better amino acid profile than wheat flour, better option. What price is soy flour compared with
     ultrabee?



Ultra Bee Dry - 50 lb bag (22.65 kg)
$99.95.
Plus 5 cents more gets free shipping. Find an additional item for 5 cents and get your free shipping.lol


Baker's Nutri Soy Flour - 50 lb.
Item #: 104NFL515051
Quantity Discounts
$53.49/Bag
Quick Shipping
Usually ships in 1 business day
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: TheHoneyPump on April 14, 2020, 03:06:49 PM
Feed supplement / artificial feed is already made with those flours and yeasts mentioned.  You are really not gaining anything by adding more except diluting or possibly unbalancing a product that has been made to the meet the bees needs.
There are some things where quality is more important than quantity.  Spring protein feed supplement is one of those things in the quality category, imho.
Title: Re: Making artificial pollen go further
Post by: Ben Framed on April 14, 2020, 06:54:22 PM
>There are some things where quality is more important than quantity.  Spring protein feed supplement is one of those
   things in the quality category, imho.

Yes your thought on this is correct. To save just a few dollars is not worth the shortcut thinking about it. Thank you for your input Mr HP

Phillip Hall