Oils in pollen patties and their nutritional benefits

[BaconWizard]

I thought this was very interesting, especially when combined with Randy Oliver's investigation of pollen-sub recipes concerning the dry elements.



TLDW: Use linseed (flaxseed) oil, it's far better than others for the bees.
Use at a rate of about 6% of the total patty (8% is better but it has to be a high enough protein patty to get them to take it)

If you want to take it further nutritionally, the ideal oil mix would be:

4 parts linseed
4 parts unrefined coconut
2 parts borage
1 part unrefined palm

(NEVER use boiled linseed oil or oil for woodworking)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

why bother with pollen patties in the first place?

 

[Antipodes]

why bother with pollen patties in the first place?

I haven't used them (I don't think I can buy them here anyhow), but down under there is apparently an issue with (essential) amino acid deficiency in the native pollen. There is heaps of info. and research on it here. Yellow Box eucalyptus (mainland only -beautiful honey) is one such pollen apparently. It's also something to do with the honeybee not evolving with our plants here. Presumably the UK would be totally different and the bees there should get all the nutrients in the pollen.
https://fairdinkumhoney.com.au/pdf/pollen.pdfhttps://www.publish.csiro.au/an/ea03188

 

[BaconWizard]

Presumably the UK would be totally different and the bees there should get all the nutrients in the pollen.
https://fairdinkumhoney.com.au/pdf/pollen.pdfhttps://www.publish.csiro.au/an/ea03188

There can be other issues though.
Unusual weather is one.
The “June Gap” is another, and finally there is a MASSIVE reduction in the diversity of pollens available due to monoculture farming and overall loss of habitat, fewer “weeds” etc.

If the bees have decent pollen to go-to, they won't take subs anyway.
Regardless, the above is a nice improvement to people’s homebrew recipes for those who use them.
People who don’t use them are permitted to skip this step

 

[jarmo henttu]

I
4 parts linseed
4 parts unrefined coconut
2 parts borage
1 part unrefined palm

(NEVER use boiled linseed oil or oil for woodworking)

If you have dry soya flour, then use canola oil.

If you have fatty soya flour (20%), no need to ad food oil. Fatty flour is better than non fatty.

I have tried olive oil, but bees does not accept it at all.

Oil makes patty more tasty. Nothing else.

Patty making has a problem. It is difficult to buy in Europe irradiated pollen.