feeding dry pollen substitute

[Cindi]

So, important topic.  Feed the bees all the pollen that they can take, once they are active (out of the compact winter cluster).  I think that is the gist.  Obviously , they need protein even if they are not feeding brood.

Well, that makes sense now.  We all need protein for muscle, brain and body development.  So do bees.  Think of the thoracic muscle movement that they do for so long to keep the winter cluster warm.  Now that probably uses alot of protein from their bodies.

I remember a few days ago someone mentioning that the bees actually dislocate their wings from the thoracic muscle to be able to vibrate and keep the cluster warm.  That was astounding to me.  What a interesting part of nature that we are all involved in and want to learn more about.  Great day.  Cindi

[Michael Bush]

Once fresh pollen is available I have never seen them interested in any pollen substitute and they even lose interest in old pollen in favor of fresh pollen.

[Brian D. Bray]

In some of my other replys in other posts I have stated that pollen (or pollen substitutes) are more critical for promoting brood rearing in a hive than feeding syrup.  Feeding the bees a pollen (or soy) patty will give the bees the protien necessary to begin brood rearing in large quantites.  A hive can be built up quite rapidly feeding pollen or pollen substitutes.  Once you start to feed pollen, however, it is important to continue to feed it until the natural flow of pollen is abundant.  The same goes with syrup, If you're feeding to build up your hives you need to feed in small increments for an extended period until the natural flow takes over.
Stoppping short on feeding either the pollen or syrup to stimlate a false flow in order to promote brood production can result in the hive crashing if the feeding is stopped too soon or if extended periods of advrse weather occur at the time feeding is stopped.  In either situation the bees are in a heavy consumption mode and will strave to death because they are using their food sources for build up.

[Finsky]

I A hive can be built up quite rapidly feeding pollen or pollen substitutes.  .

In our country we have only 2 yield months: June and July.

Yield blooming is

Apple trees, dandelion, garden first week of June

Gap in nectar blooming 10.6. - 28.8.

Raspberry  last week of June
Canola, white clover, last week of June - second week on July
Fireweed  first to third week of July

In natural way bees are able to gather yield after middle of June. There is a gap in blooming tehn and swarming time.
Yield will start after 28.6. and ends 27.8. = 1 month.

To get 2 yield month instead of one

To get honey in June hives must be in foraging condition
* enough foraging bees whic are over 3 weeks old
* balance with nurser bees and foraging bees that suprlus honey is possible = with one box wintered hive it is not possible. Otherwise all foraged nectar goes into feedint of larvae.
* Good pastures = transfer hives

My hives are all in cottage yard over winter and in May. Now I keep electrict heating and pollen patty feeding. The development of hive is 3 times faster than with natural way.

I heat hives 3 monhts with electrict and feed then 2 months. Compare with yield season!

The feeding helps that all my every hive is in good condition when canola and raspberry starts blooming. It they are not, I join two weeks hives together.


Stirring one issue in one time helps not at all.  My system starts from August, how big hives are for winter and after winter.

Feeding pollen is one piece in cake when I run hives around the year.

And in this system I do not feed syrup or candy to bees to accelerate their functions because syrup alone helps nothing.
I replace honey stores with sugar in Semptember and that is my sugar feeding. And they do not starve from September to April = 8 months.

[Finsky]

Once fresh pollen is available I have never seen them interested in any pollen substitute and they even lose interest in old pollen in favor of fresh pollen.

In my country whole May is a such that bees get only willow pollen. It's nutritional values are week.
When I feeded honey + 100% pollen patty, they stopped eating when they got willow pollen.

Now with yeast + soya + pollen patty they eate untill to daddelion blooming.

If bees are not allowed to forage outside the brooding drops 50% if only source of food is patty. Some reports that their brooding stops 100%.
.

It depends totally, have you enough natural pollen in your environment under radius 0,5 mile.

It is same in August before autumn. If bees have not pollen near hives, they stop larva feeding and winter cluster will be small.

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