Pollen patties

[elainemary]

When and under what circumstances should pollen be fed to a hive of bees?

Is it something that some beekeepers do routinely in the Spring as a safety net or to boost brood rearing?

I used a pollen substitute last spring (end March) .I’m not near OSR (oil seed rape) and my first spring flow starts mid to end May. So working backwards I reckon if my bees need help it will be 6 weeks earlier ie end March (takes 6 weeks from queen laying eggs to becoming foragers)

As my home apiary is at altitude in the Pennines and near the heather, I felt my colonies needed help as spring was late, so the pollen was late too and my home apiary is 3 weeks behind the valley. I had colonies in the valley too. All had a pollen patty end March

I had the best honey crop last year (now 5 years of beekeeping). Each year has got bettter than the last and last year was +60% higher than the previous from the same number of production colonies, so perhaps the pollen helped. Plus like you I am learning lots and maybe becoming better at what I do….

I will repeat using pollen sub again but only if spring is late and pollen is not in full supply. I have never fed syrup in spring to stimulate the queen as I believe it’s best work at the bees pace. They know what’s happening re the weather and build up accordingly. I will be watching the weather and the available forage and make my decision s accordingly

I bought ultra bee in the summer sales with a long code life (planning ahead!) & will freeze if I don’t use

So in summary, think about your location, when your queen needs to be laying to make the most of your first nectar flow, work backwards and make your judgement according to your location, weather and forage. Don’t over stimulate your queens with syrup unless you are migrating your bees to oil seed rape.

Just a few thoughts from me to add to the melting pot!

 

[Finman]

Elaimary, you fed to bees Lyson 's Apikand. It has 8% pollen. Pollen has perhaps 20 % crude protein. It means that Apikand has no meaning as feeding bee larvi. Apikand is 90% sugar.

Apikand has about 1.5 % crude protein. 15 g.

When I feed my hives, they eate about
500 g patty in a week. My patty has 50% sugar. It must have, otherwise the patty starts to ferment or gets mold.

I feed my hives 6 weeks with patty, even if they get willow pollen from nature. Hives store natural pollen alot that way, but in the midd of June all pollen stores are consumed.

4 frame nucs do not get advantage from patty. They get easily chalk brood from boosting. It is best to give a frame of emerging brood to nucs. It is only way to boost those dwarfs.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

laimary, you fed to bees Lyson 's Apikand. It has 8% pollen. Pollen has perhaps 20 % crude protein. It means that Apikand has no meaning as feeding bee larvi. Apikand is 90% sugar.

It's called the placebo effect, there is always someone, somewhere who'll believe it

 

[elainemary]

Elaimary, you fed to bees Lyson 's Apikand. It has 8% pollen. Pollen has perhaps 20 % crude protein. It means that Apikand has no meaning as feeding bee larvi. Apikand is 90% sugar.

Apikand has about 1.5 % crude protein. 15 g.

When I feed my hives, they eate about
500 g patty in a week. My patty has 50% sugar. It must have, otherwise the patty starts to ferment or gets mold.

I feed my hives 6 weeks with patty, even if they get willow pollen from nature. Hives store natural pollen alot that way, but in the midd of June all pollen stores are consumed.

4 frame nucs do not get advantage from patty. They get easily chalk brood from boosting. It is best to give a frame of emerging brood to nucs. It is only way to boost those dwarfs.

Thanks you’re right. I bought it a previous year on impulse and tried it in a colony. The bees didn’t leave any behind probably for the reasons you’ve said - good feedback! But then I listened to Dani & bought ultra bee. Haven’t got a pic of that
P.s.
I listened to you last year too, added brood to my Nuc as you suggested. Worked well. Love listening to and learning from the wise! Thanks

 

[Finman]

Candy Pollen is another product which has 3% pollen. It means no meaning.

 

[Sanntos]

Perhaps it is you good to know, that Finland is not a Scandinavian country.

Since when?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Since when?

He's right. Scandinavian countries are Denmark Norway and Sweden which share culture and Language roots.
Scandinavian is often used when people actually mean Nordic which is a broader collection and does include Finland

 

[Sanntos]

Oops, I got a lesson about Skandinavia, and from an Englishman..
I actually believed Finland were a Scandinavian country

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oops, I got a lesson about Skandinavia, and from an Englishman..
I actually believed Finland were a Scandinavian country

woman

 

[Sanntos]

In that case, Welsh woman, even better?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In that case, Welsh woman, even better?

English born (I think) of Polish parentage now living in Wales

 

[Finman]

Since when?

Since a human started to read.

 

[Finman]

Scandinavian is often used when people actually mean Nordic which is a broader collection and does include Finland

Often Finland is not even showed in European map.

 

[Sanntos]

But I want Finland to be a Scandinavian country

 

[user 20297]

But I want Finland to be a Scandinavian country

......and Scotland please.

 

[Sanntos]

Absolutely. A wonderful idea. It's a deal. Why has nobody thought of that before?

But what about Boris and the english down there? Maybe they don't approve...

 

[Boston Bees]

Absolutely. A wonderful idea. It's a deal. Why has nobody thought of that before?

But what about Boris and the english down there? Maybe they don't approve...

Please don't, the thread will just end up getting quarantined.

 

[Finman]

Since when?

When I looked from google "Scandinavian etymology", it explains well , how the name has evolved. It described area, where north Germanin people lived. They were sometimes same nation, and sometimes they fought with each others. Look Wikipedia.

Norway became independent from Sweden 1905.

 

[Sanntos]

Norway became independent from Sweden 1905.

Yes, that was unfortunate.. But now soon we maybe can repair that with the new union with Scotland. They have oil too.

 

[Finman]

Yes, that was unfortunate.. But now soon we maybe can repair that with the new union with Scotland. They have oil too.

And union with Russia. They have oil too.