Feeding dry pollen substitute

[Sutty]

I've seen a few items recently regarding (open) feeding of dry pollen substitute. My understanding previously was that bees wouldn't use dry pollen substitute within the hive. Am I misinformed, will they take substitute inside the hive? Does open feeding substitute work? - obviously there are risks in open feeding!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m feeding pollen sub to one colony but I’ve mixed it with invert to make a soft paste and put it over the crownboard feeder hole.
I wouldn’t open feed with anything

 

[Sutty]

Pollen substitute patties I can well understand. This was dry powder.

 

[Murox]

I tried dry pollen sub in the hive last year. they took a little but clearly continued looking for the real thing. Pollen patties have been much more successful this year and I have one hive with one on even now although when I looked last week they were not using it much at all. Another hive was consuming the last dregs.

 

[Finman]

Pollen substitute patties I can well understand. This was dry powder.

The idea is that bees eate protein as much as possible. And dry powder is not optimal food for that meaning.

When weather is bad and bees do not get drinking water from outside, bees stop eating patty. How they then can eate dry food?

 

[Ian123]

 

[Finman]

[QUOTE="Ian123, post: 767478,
[/QUOTE]
That figure is mad. How much food dust goes into ground . At least most of flour.

It is better that you mix the flour into syrup and feed it as patty.

 

[user 20297]

The idea is that bees eate protein as much as possible. And dry powder is not optimal food for that meaning.

When weather is bad and bees do not get drinking water from outside, bees stop eating patty. How they then can eate dry food?

View attachment 26084

@Finman, do you think bees would be able to use protein powder which tough guys use to make protein drinks in bodybuilding. In the UK you can easily find this in many supermarkets. I've read some of your previous posts about your recipes for pollen patties and see that most people can't find irradiated pollen available to buy. I wondered if the powder could be mixed with your other ingredients.

I've previously thought the idea of feeding patties was a US. fad and not needed in the UK, but I like your logical explanations of building up the bee population early in the year so that you have a massive number of brood just before the main flow.