Best time to add Patties

[Crazyhorse]

Currently feeding my ladies fondant which they are hammering through at a kilo 10 days roughly.
But when should I consider changing to patties?
I thought early March? Last year I was lucky as I placed supers on just as the cold snap hit us!

Sorry loads of questions this year!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you mean Pollen substitute (because stuff like Candipolline is almost simply coloured fondant)?
You're in Kent. Masses of natural pollen just round the corner. No need for pollen sub.

 

[Poly Hive]

I gave up feeding pollen patties, as in real pollen, many years ago and it made absolutely no difference at all. A complete waste of money and time.

PH

 

[user 819]

Never ever fed patties to bees, just little need for it . One will find there are plenty of pollen sources available in nature if one spends time watching the bees for 10 mins or so when they are active flying, hazel early and now willow coming in plus spring flowers etc,etc.

 

[W0otz]

Currently feeding my ladies fondant which they are hammering through at a kilo 10 days roughly.
But when should I consider changing to patties?
I thought early March? Last year I was lucky as I placed supers on just as the cold snap hit us!

Sorry loads of questions this year!

Watch the bees on a sunny day - see if there's pollen going in. I don't know where in Kent you are, but it can't vary all that much and there's been plenty of white (probably hazel) pollen going in around here, and a smaller amount of orange (likely snowdrop or gorse).

 

[Nighthaunt]

Watch the bees on a sunny day - see if there's pollen going in. I don't know where in Kent you are, but it can't vary all that much and there's been plenty of white (probably hazel) pollen going in around here, and a smaller amount of orange (likely snowdrop or gorse).

Same as W0otz (not surprising as only a few miles apart) - girls are coming back with full pollen baskets, best advice is have a look at your bees on a busy day - are they bringing back pollen? If you can’t see any returning but loads of bees out foraging then may be worth considering adding some pollen source.

 

[ericbeaumont]

when should I consider changing to patties?

Murray McGregor (beefarmer with 5000) reported taking a tonne of it to the dump because it was more trouble than value to the bees.

 

[blackcloud]

Rather than persevere until it's gone and learn his lesson
Rather than sell it on
Rather than donate it to the local association Environmental crime.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Rather than persevere until it's gone and learn his lesson
Rather than sell it on
Rather than donate it to the local association Environmental crime.

As I recall (and I may have mis-remembered) there was a quality issue with it. If I was in that situation, I would not want to pass on a problem to others. Would you?

 

[Ian123]

Rather than persevere until it's gone and learn his lesson
Rather than sell it on
Rather than donate it to the local association Environmental crime.

Are you the fun police?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As I recall (and I may have mis-remembered) there was a quality issue with it. If I was in that situation, I would not want to pass on a problem to others. Would you?

and if the whole thing is a waste of time and effort, why set out and encourage others to waste their time on the damn thing

 

[blackcloud]

You think pollution is fun???

 

[Ian123]

You think pollution is fun???

Just checking we are talking about the same thing here……….Pollen sub is a biodegradable plant based product. We are not talking about spent fuel rods?????????????

 

[user 20297]

Just checking we are talking about the same thing here……….Pollen sub is a biodegradable plant based product. We are not talking about spent fuel rods

It might have been one of these dangerous nuclear powered devices.

 

[blackcloud]

If the story is actually true then that stuff,however holistic we kid ourselves into thinking it is,could have been given away easily to others (with a bit more patience perhaps)rather than selfishly buried in the ground for someone else to deal with.
Biodegradable doesn't mean it magically disappears once it's out of our conciences.
None of this stuff would be radioactive either..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can we please stop speculating.
I suggest anybody who wants to take this further take it up with ITLD.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Are you the fun police?

Fun exterminator maybe?

 

[blackcloud]

Fun exterminator maybe?

Kids look like they're having a blast

 

[Ian123]

None of this stuff would be radioactive either..
View attachment 35238

Does that look like a pollen Patti to you?

 

[pargyle]

Come on .... this is the beginners section of the forum ... there's been nothing constructive since Post #6 ... it's not even entertaining. Back to the original topic please ...