Pollen patties or Syrup?

[BernardBlack]

Quick question.

Just wondered if I should be switching fondant for syrup or pollen patties any time soon? Not sure which I should be using first.

 

[alfazer]

Too cold for syrup today (snow!) but might be okay by end of March if it's warm enough.

I've had pollen substitute patties on since February.
(Unless you mean the yellow fondant with added pollen, which is NOT a pollen patty, its just fondant)

Don't think of pollen patties as feed. It's a protein supplement to help with brood development.

 

[BernardBlack]

Too cold for syrup today (snow!) but might be okay by end of March if it's warm enough.

I've had pollen substitute patties on since February.
(Unless you mean the yellow fondant with added pollen, which is NOT a pollen patty, its just fondant)

Don't think of pollen patties as feed. It's a protein supplement to help with brood development.

It's the yellow candipolline. Could I use this alongside the white winter fondant?

 

[alfazer]

It's the yellow candipolline. Could I use this alongside the white winter fondant?

Alongside or instead of, it doesn't matter. It's pretty much the same thing as fondant anyway.

Just as long as you know that Candipolline is NOT a pollen patty.

You can make pollen substitute patty with 2 parts soya flour, 1 part brewers yeast and just enough sugar syrup to make it into a patty.
(Or other recipes available online)

 

[BernardBlack]

Alongside or instead of, it doesn't matter. It's pretty much the same thing as fondant anyway.

Just as long as you know that Candipolline is NOT a pollen patty.

You can make pollen substitute patty with 2 parts soya flour, 1 part brewers yeast and just enough sugar syrup to make it into a patty.
(Or other recipes available online)

Hmm, so I bought the wrong thing? If yes, what should I have bought?

 

[Millet]

Hmm, so I bought the wrong thing? If yes, what should I have bought?

I have used the stuff 2yrs in a row and the bees are bursting at the seems each year, it could be coincidence but i will stick with what works for now.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hmm, so I bought the wrong thing? If yes, what should I have bought?

Ultrabee from bee-equipment

 

[madasafish]

Ultrabee from bee-equipment

+1

 

[tidymeup]

agreed ultra bee is a great product.

 

[Beefriendly]

Hmm, so I bought the wrong thing? If yes, what should I have bought?

It is described as a new pollen substitute and complete food for bees......it contains a lot of pollen and other proteins. From their web site "sugar, milk & egg Proteins and Bee Pollen at a low temperature, to prevent loss of vitamins and the denaturation of proteins. The pollen is sterilized with gamma rays to avoid contamination with any disease".

Sounds like pollen pattie ingredients to me....the home made ones are also made up with sugar syrup....so I wouldn't say you bought the wrong one....although they don't give the proportions of the ingredients used...that I can see.

 

[domino]

This begs the question, when to put patties on the hive?

I put someone on last weekend based soley on the fact that they are now rearing brood.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is described as a new pollen substitute and complete food for bees......it contains a lot of pollen and other proteins. From their web site "sugar, milk & egg Proteins and Bee Pollen at a low temperature, to prevent loss of vitamins and the denaturation of proteins. The pollen is sterilized with gamma rays to avoid contamination with any disease".

Sounds like pollen pattie ingredients to me....the home made ones are also made up with sugar syrup....so I wouldn't say you bought the wrong one....although they don't give the proportions of the ingredients used...that I can see.

I'm sure I read 1.6 % protein on the packet at Beetradex. I shall look at the WBKA convention just for my own peace of mind.

 

[alfazer]

By the way, I wasn't suggesting there's anything wrong with Candipolline and bees may indeed thrive on it, rather that it's not what is traditionally described as a pollen supplement or a pollen substitute.
So if early brood development is a priority, then one of the traditional patty recipes would have a lot more protein, but it wouldn't replace a fondant based product as a winter feed.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'm sure I read 1.6 % protein on the packet at Beetradex. I shall look at the WBKA convention just for my own peace of mind.

If that is all it is, their advertising is really emphasizing a very low protein content! Are you sure that the 1.6% is not just the added pollen concentration?
Perhaps someone has a packet they could check?
The listed protein ingredients, pollen, milk proteins (I presume casein), egg proteins and sugar are all ingredients used in pollen substitute/supplement ingredients although the package is sold as a complete food.
Not used it myself so comments on efficiency.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If that is all it is, their advertising is really emphasizing a very low protein content! Are you sure that the 1.6% is not just the added pollen concentration?
Perhaps someone has a packet they could check?
The listed protein ingredients, pollen, milk proteins (I presume casein), egg proteins and sugar are all ingredients used in pollen substitute/supplement ingredients although the package is sold as a complete food.
Not used it myself so comments on efficiency.

Not sure now. Will look on Saturday

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here you are
1.38% crude protein

 

[alfazer]

This begs the question, when to put patties on the hive?

I put someone on last weekend based soley on the fact that they are now rearing brood.

I put mine on in February because I believe it helps to jump-starts the brood rearing. Out of 6 colonies this year, two of them devoured the patties within a week and I gave them a second helping. I had one weak colony that only ate about half of it and I dumped it today 25 March because it was going mouldy. They are bring in plenty of real pollen today so no need for it now.

These were my homemade pollen substitute patties, not the yellow fondant with bells on.

If the warmer weather holds up, I'll give them a jar of thin syrup start of April to get them laying up faster and drawing new foundation.

 

[mintmoth]

...You can make pollen substitute patty with 2 parts soya flour, 1 part brewers yeast and just enough sugar syrup to make it into a patty.
(Or other recipes available online)

Ultrabee from bee-equipment

There's a comparative test of pollen substitutes here http://scientificbeekeeping.com/a-comparative-test-of-the-pollen-sub/

Interestingly, the ones containing yeast did least well, and were consumed less, although better than no sub at all.
If you don't want to read all the blurb, there are some nice graphs and charts a lot further down the page that give at-a-glance results for the eight subs they trialled.

 

[Beefriendly]

Here you are
1.38% crude protein

Thanks, Erichalfbee, even less than you originally said. It's not a lot of protein for something that advertises itself as a pollen substitute.
Does anyone have any of the other commercial substitutes to see what percentage their protein levels are?

 

[madasafish]

Thanks, Erichalfbee, even less than you originally said. It's not a lot of protein for something that advertises itself as a pollen substitute.
Does anyone have any of the other commercial substitutes to see what percentage their protein levels are?

Ultra Bee 60% protein dry weight. (Bee Equipment)

So when made up to a mix with sugar and water, about 20% by weight.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=532139&posted=1#post532139