Pollen shortage

[DanBee]

A heads up for you - usual caveats apply regarding location, climate, etc.

I've been round 5 sites today, checked ~50 colonies, and all are suffering pollen shortage to a lesser or greater degree. I saw very few of the returning foragers today bringing in pollen, where they had pollen loads they were meagre.

Understandable when you consider the recent weeks' weather: cool with rain or snow. Few foraging opportunities, few pollen sources. Remember also that stored pollen from last year might now only have 25% of the nutritional value of fresh pollen.

I am told mid April will be warmer, however this may be short lived with a return to cool weather for the end of the month. Looking at the crops, the winter OSR is up and budding well; it will be in flower after the first week of warmer weather. I've been adding pollen substitute patties today, right over the clusters, to ease them over the intervening period.

Randy Oliver has written extensively on his trials of pollen patties and pollen substitutes, worth a read of this comparative test and this test of when to apply. Do remember, however, that Randy is in a very different climate to ours, ignore the months he mentions, look at the state and progress of colonies that he is describing and transpose to your own season & climate

 

[Finman]

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I start feed my hives with self made pollen patty next after a week. Willow starts blooming after a month.

Basic protein are irradiated pollen, dry yeast and soya isolate.

My recipe works splended but without irradiated pollen bees do not eate at all other stuffs.

Idea is that I get new feeder bees when nature starts to give pollen. After that patty ensures that bees do not need to eate larvae as protein source.
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Very few in my country do this. More are people who hate the whole idea.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

13c later in the week don't panic...
Pollen patties been on for a few weeks anyhoo

 

[mickbees23]

Pollen...You need flowers for pollen........I haven't seen any flowers yet..

Worst Spring I have ever experienced, Trout fishing season postponed twice in my area, 1st time ever in my experience of 35 years. Its gonna be the worst spring for beekeepers ever I think.

I have been putting feedbee on my colonies for a few weeks and they are wolfing it down.

 

[madasafish]

Pollen...You need flowers for pollen........I haven't seen any flowers yet..

Worst Spring I have ever experienced, Trout fishing season postponed twice in my area, 1st time ever in my experience of 35 years. Its gonna be the worst spring for beekeepers ever I think.

I have been putting feedbee on my colonies for a few weeks and they are wolfing it down.

A week od warm weather and willow will be in flower.. (Ultra bee here for 4 weeks)

 

[Finman]

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How do you see pollen shortage....

Natural habit is that bees eate part of larvae. Brood area has more or less holes. When you feed protein, the capping area is even.

IT is usual here that weather are do cold that bees cannot fly or they cannot fly over windy fields.

Some hives are able to forage pollen more than others.

The "fact" that last year pollen has only 25% left its nutrition value, I do not think so. A fill pollen frame produces one brood frame. I have seen that one pollen frame gives a good amount of new bees.

In pollen patty I have used 7 y old dry pollen and it has worked as well as new.

Last spring I used 11 y old dry, vacuum packed yeast, and it worked like new.

Fatted soya flour (20%) will be rancid, and such I will not use

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BUT: Strong hives swarm first !
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[thibault]

Pollen...You need flowers for pollen........I haven't seen any flowers yet..

Worst Spring I have ever experienced, Trout fishing season postponed twice in my area, 1st time ever in my experience of 35 years. Its gonna be the worst spring for beekeepers ever I think.

I have been putting feedbee on my colonies for a few weeks and they are wolfing it down.

My hives have been bringing loads of pollen since the 5th of March, maybe because I am in a city, so more access to different plants and flowers

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[thibault]

Just found a video dated 25th of February, they were bringing some pollen in.

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[Poly Hive]

I have nothing for the bees to collect from and according to my forecast of the next 14 days 2 are warm and the rest have highs of 6 at best.

OSR is sitting 2" high in cold mud and my veg raised bed temps have dropped from 8 to 6.

I am honestly worried as never seen it as bad as this.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bees building up really strong now, lots of pollen being collected and most colonies needing extra space.

 

[simonforeman]

Whats your next steps Hivemaker.... will you add a super very soon?

 

[Insy]

Annoyed me a little one of my hives took so much pollen in plus a 1lb patty and exploded with brood and then that third cold stint meant HM laid so much they couldn’t keep it all warm so lots of chilled brood.

 

[Insy]

I suppose it depends on your area and forage but I have a few variation. Of pollen colour coming in when weather allows it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Whats your next steps Hivemaker.... will you add a super very soon?

Yes, shallow supers to start with, then double brood for those that need it.

 

[Finman]

Bees building up really strong now, lots of pollen being collected and most colonies needing extra space.

That I can say after 2 -2,5 month.

.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Masses of willow and even a little dandelion going into all mine

 

[Beefriendly]

The first daffodil in our garden is just about to burst into bloom!

 

[Poly Hive]

Some daffs out here but that is academic as they ain't that useful and even if
they were the bees are clustered.

Got some pussy willow out too but they are soaked. Just checked the soil therm and it's down to 5C.

Spring? Bad joke here.

PH

 

[Hebeegeebee]

A couple of weeks ago when the weather was really too cool to inspect, I did so and there was very little pollen in the hives and the amount of brood and bees was lower that I would usually expect to see. In, I think it was 2012, I saw a similar lack of pollen when we had a rubbish spring and brooding had stopped. No surprise I guess after the weather we've had.

 

[Wingy]

No shortage of pollen here this afternoon, coming in by the bucket load, about 1 in 4 bees loaded with bright yellow pollen. Willow, blackthorn and dandelion have all burst into life and temperature up to 14 C.