Feeding Substitute Patties Amount ?

[Bee-Bop]

For those of you who feed substitute patties;

Approximately how long does a 1# patty last on the hive ?

The information I find for our area, is to start feeding end of Jan.

I know there are many variables, just would like a idea.

Thanks
Bee-Bop

[AllenF]

1 pound lasts as long as it takes the bees to eat it up.   I put very small amounts on in Feb.  Just keep an eye on them.   SHB love the stuff.   Be ready to pull it at any time to keep from losing your hive.

[Finski]

.
I give weekly patties in spring. Normal big  hive consumes 500g a week pollen patty.

I use
2 parts dry yeast
1 part soya flour
1 part irradiated pollen

vitamins
50% sugar

if the hive has nosema, it does not use the patty. When you give just emerging beeframe from normal hive, brooding stars in the sick hive.

I start the feeding so that new bees get fresch willow pollen.  so feeding 3 weeks before willow blooming.

[rdy-b]

allot of it depends what your feeding-and the amount of sugar in the patty
my bees will eat a one pound patty in 3 days if they are flying-but i also got some latest greatest stuff supper high protein -and they barley eat the stuff- by using less sugar that boosts the protein % up -what are you feeding--RDY-B

[Kathyp]

very much depends on the hive.  if i use them, and i don't much anymore, i put one on each hive.  some hives will eat the whole thing in short order, but others will hardly touch it.  our pollen starts early and they'd rather have the natural stuff.  they only get at them when the weather is to bad for them to go out.

[Finski]

allot of it depends what your feeding-and the amount of sugar in the patty
my bees will eat a one pound patty in 3 days if they are flying-but i also got some latest greatest stuff supper high protein -and they barley eat the stuff- by using less sugar that boosts the protein % up -what are you feeding--RDY-B

the ground rule is that sugar must be 50%. Otherwise patty starts to ferment, or takes blue mold like home made fruit jelly.

Sunny weather speed up brooding 100% compared to rainy week.

Willows have  about 15% protein. When bees get better and multiflower pollen outside, they stop patty eating.