pollen substitute

[pdmattox]

Just wondering if anyone has tried any of the pollen substitutes out there and what was there method of use and experince with the product.

[Finsky]

Just wondering if anyone has tried any of the pollen substitutes out there and what was there method of use and experince with the product.

Search from forum  "pollen patty" writings.

[qa33010]

   I've got Bee Pro from Mann Lake.  Used it last year when my feral hive was removed from a house.  Again this spring on the feral hive and three Russian packages.  Just remember to not leave them on for long.  I leave them on for no more than four days (I've been told a week) before removing them.  SHB are attracted to them and that's how I lost a hive through absconding.  I still have most of a bucket left in the freezer, but this spring will use straight pollen from the freezer.  My bees seemed to like it alot as there wasn't much left after four days. 

    Just be careful as, if I remember right, protien patties do not give all the nutrition requirements for the brood.  I can't remember where I saw it or who told me that but it seems the bees raised on protein patties are weaker constitutionally and don't live as long as pollen raised bees.  I guess I'll try and find out this spring. 8-)

I used sugar water since I had no honey to mix the patties with.

     David

Just remember this is my opinion and what I've learned from others, if I find it wrong I ignaore it later after I fix it,

[Finsky]

   
    Just be careful as, if I remember right, protien patties do not give all the nutrition requirements for the brood.  ,

When you mix 20% pollen, yeast and soya flour, bees get all they need. The idea is to give pollen patty if natural pollen is not avaiable. If you feed with 100% pollen, it is expencive. But with few hives it means nothing.

The biggest problem I have met is that forced to raise brood during cold season bees get easily chalk brood. Small hives are sensitive to this.

Bees need to get drinking water from nature when you give pollen patty. Otherwise they cannot not feed them. This is second problem.

[Brian D. Bray]

Feeding pollen or pollen substitutes are more a must for quick brood buildup in the spring than feeding syrup but feeding both usually gets a hive off to a good start.  A weak hive, however, is always a problem because there is such a low bee population than minor mistakes can rpove fatal.

[tig]

i don't like to use a substitute for pollen so during the pollen season i trap some and keep it as a reserve for emergencies.  if it's well dried and kept in an air tight container it should last a long time.

[Kirk-o]

I've used the pollen substitue patties worked good had to watch out for the ants
lots of bad ants in L A