pollen patties

[BKF Admin]

Does anyone else have a scanner that can scan them for us?

Bcrazy I have added one of the lists you sent me.
You can see it here: Beekeeping list

 

[doorman]

Hey Admin
help please.

I have a 4 page list of trees and shrubs that has;
Common name - Latin name - Blooming months - Pollen colour - Availability - source for Honeybees.
which I think would help members in knowing what comes into flower and when.

How can I get this to you fo you to pass on?

Regards;

Take photos of the pages and send as jpg's ?

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks Bcrazy. Will look forward to looking at that.

 

[Poly Hive]

Firstly I have a working scanner and can do what is needed. PM me for an Email addy.

Heather, sadly pretty much the answer is yes it is useless.

I gave my recipe a few pages back and my rationale, and must add mine was given to me by arguably the most successful bee farmer in the UK. It was tried and tested by him over many years and I am not going to say more on that.

Trapping pollen is fine but and I will admit to this, disease is here an ISSUE. If you want to spread chalk brood through your hives this is a prime way to do it.

Irridated pollen is the way to go by reason of being disease free and also it avoids stressing colonies by trapping.

I have, in my neighbours garden a willow with catkins on it already. so as the idiots will argue why use pollen patties? Because, a, it is miles from my bees and b, it is peeing with rain and they canna fly even if they wanted to.

I work on the KISS principle but at times it is really hard work...lol (Keep It Simple Stupid)

PH

 

[Heather]

Sh.., but at least I have an answer at last. Hey ho - maybe the weather down here will negate the need.
I haven't made them before and the hives have kicked off well previously. And I cannot start queen rearing until drones are up and running - or... does that mean pollen patties to get that in place---Aaagghhh. Decisions, decisions

 

[beesatbobs]

Bee Feed

Off to Maisemore tomorrow with colleague to pick up a quantity of Bee Feed which is on offer there at present; keen to try it out

 

[Finman]

Off to Maisemore tomorrow with colleague to pick up a quantity of Bee Feed which is on offer there at present; keen to try it out

Last spring I got 20 kg that stuff and bees did not like it. They consumed only half of my orininal patty. I dropped the BeeFeed away and they started consume patty like before. I tried different mixtures but it did not help.

I gove that to farmer but cows ate it either.

 

[Heather]

Are Finman and the policeman on 'allo 'allo' ever in the room at the same time?

No offence Finman - you're a great guy - lots of good advice - and your English is 100% better than my Finnish.

And the offer of accommodation still stands....

 

[Bcrazy]

For Poly Hive,

Thank you for the offer of your scanner but I sent the docs via ordinary e-mail and they were received OK.
Thanks once again.

Regards;

 

[Heather]

Advice please. How soon do I add pollen patties. How long a good spell of weather before she may start laying. I dont want to do it too early and cause confusion in the hive. So can someone itemise a time scale for me.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am watchng the weather Heather and am thinking to start in another week or so. You may well be warmer on the south coast so ...

PH

 

[Heather]

I think its colder down here - and one hive ?problem. Very messy excrement - dollops - but too cold to look in - maybe tomorrow as metcheck shows slightly warmer.

 

[Finman]

.
Bees react very quickly on patty feeding. Often - I do not know about UK - bees allready have some brood. Queen lays more but bees do not rear larvae.

When I give patty, after one week bees have quite a big area larvae and eggs.

 

[Poly Hive]

Indeed Finman in the UK too the stimulus of "free and easy" protein, water and sugar stimulates brood rearing. Or did in the North East of Scotland so I imagine in the balmy Midlands it will work too.

PH (trying not to be cryptic)

 

[Finman]

in UK Indeed water and sugar stimulates brood rearing.)

In Finland most of beekeeprs believe too that sugar stimulates brooding. But if they have not protein, bees cannot do nothing. But is is so hard to believe. People remember only beautifull days, rot rainy weeks.

Long time ago I gived a box of extracted frames to lick to bees in spring but it did not add brooding.

Our spring weather varies as much as UK's. Same cyclones. One week rain or cold or sunny or something else. Nothing is sure where to trust. Patty feeding s long distance project.

 

[Poly Hive]

I look at is, and was taught that it is, an insurance price. If the bees cannot get out for water, protein and sugars they have them to hand.

However dear Finman it is like shouting in the wind most of the time as I discovered on another forum last spring, you tell peeps which way is up and they insist on letting spittle drool down their chins to prove they are idiots.

However people are people and insist on making their own mistakes, despite all best efforts to avoid it. and despite the sad fact the mistake has been made many times before.

PH

 

[Heather]

but learning fast PH

 

[Finman]

but learning fast PH

Yes but to polish away old ideas - that is more than hard.

I have not seen in these forums much fast learning. Same questions again and again, and same crucial answers.

Like how to weigh oxalic acid? Impossible to some scientists.

 

[GingerNut]

So I'm gonna bump this topic.......................and ask...............

How did it all go?

Yours Roy

 

[Hawklord]

Did anybody feed the pollen patties or substitutes last year? What mix did you use, as I don't want to be feeding something that will have an adverse effect?