Feeding bees blue lupine

[ugcheleuce]

G'day everyone

I took the plunge this year and fed the bees soy flour mixed into the fondant. They seem to be taking it up (or perhaps they're just carrying it around and I'll find it all again when I clean the hive).

The only place where I could get soy flour was at a health shop. The upside, I guess, is that the soy flour is as pure as one can get it.

At the health shop I also saw other types of flour, and in particular I was wondering about the blue lupine flour. Does anyone know anything about feeding bees blue lupine flour instead of soy flour?

The web site is here:
https://www.joannusmolen.com/assortiment/lupinemeel-2/
(the flowers on the package are white but they are "blue" lupine flowers)

On the blue lupine flour package it says: "Ingredients: ground roasted blue lupine (may contain traces of hazelnut and almond). ... You can also mix it directly with fruit juice, vegetable juice or milk for a tasty blue lupine shake."

The fact that this flour is safe to be consumed by humans without cooking it sounds like a good thing. Would that mean it's better for the bees too?

By the way, I was surprised to learn from old beekeeping books that beekeepers from last century used to feed bees wheat flour!

Thanks
Samuel

 

[enrico]

Honestly.....I didn't know you could feed them any sort of flour!!!!!!
E

 

[Lea87]

Honestly.....I didn't know you could feed them any sort of flour!!!!!!
E

Exactly what I was thinking...

Why or what is the purpose of adding flour?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[oliver90owner]

HMF is not a particular problem for humans, at levels which may be deleterious for bees. Same with demerara sugar - OK for humans but not for bees. Cornflakes are OK for humans, but I would not feed my bees with the same. I could go on.

So what exactly makes you think this product would be good for bees? “Roasted” gives me the impression that some cooking process may have been involved in the preparation of this product.

On the other hand - it might be the next best thing to sliced bread! Let us know how they get on.

 

[Finman]

.
First, lupine flour is very expencive stuff. 28€/kg.

Pure dry yeast costs 3€/kg.... If you get such.

Soya flour is in super centre about 7€/kg.

But bees do not eate the flour, if you do not have made protein patty with irradiated pollen.

. Lupine flour is quite a mad idea.
.
I am going to do about 100 kg (soya- dry yeast-pollen) patty in this spring.

It is so nice to watch even nice brooding before willow starts blooming.
.

 

[Goran]

I only know soy flour should be defatted for the bee feed.. Other way highly likely toxic and as much possible fresh should be.. not to be pulled from bottom of warehouse after some years of storing - again toxic..
Pollen substitute..

One of commercially sold here for bee feed soy flour - composition:

Proteins min 50%
Fat 1%
Fibers 3%
Minerals 6%
Carbohydrates 30%
water/moisture max 10%

I don't use it anymore due no need for the extra pollen, so far when needed they gather in warm spels during winter abundance of pollen ( even in such cold winter this year was here).
I would no experiment with my bees some unproven, potentially toxic for them " things"..

 

[Finman]

I only know soy flour should be deffated ..

Do you mean defatted?

Actually fatted flour is better. Our flour Soyold has 20% fat and 40% protein.

I you use non fatted soya, mix into the patty rape oil 2%. If you put olive oil, bees will not eate it.

Soya flour must be very fine, that bees can bite it with jaws.

I have had splended results with protein feeding. But it took couple of years to make a good recipe and learn to use it.

 

[Finman]

.
It is soyolk

 

[ugcheleuce]

Honestly... I didn't know you could feed them any sort of flour!

Beekeepers have been feeding bees flour since at least the 1850s. Dzierzon discovered that bees visit flour mills early in the spring when pollen is not yet abundant, and return with flour to the hive.

Most early books refer to wheat or rye flour, but high protein flour such as soy flour has become more popular in the past half a century or so. It's often called a pollen "substitute" but it's more of a supplement. Nothing beats pollen, but pollen isn't always available.

 

[Finman]

Beekeepers have been feeding bees flour since at least the 1850s. Dzierzon discovered that bees visit flour mills early in the spring when pollen is not yet abundant, and return with flour to the hive.

Most early books refer to wheat or rye flour, but high protein flour such as soy flour has become more popular in the past half a century or so. It's often called a pollen "substitute" but it's more of a supplement. Nothing beats pollen, but pollen isn't always available.

Beekeepers did not know, what they are doing.
1953 it was found out, what amino acids bees need when they make food Juice to larvae.

Even now very few beekeeper know what is amino acids.
.
1977 it was made first comparative scientic test, what protein mixtures are best to bees.
.