Pollen Sub Reipe Please..

[Millet]

Do any of you forum elites have a mix of things that will make pollen patties that does not require a cement mixer..
My aim for next year (spring time) is have enough in the freezer for insurance just incase the weather is as pants as it is now..
Where do you get your ingredients from and what is your procedure for a mere twelve colonies..
Thanks
Steve.

 

[deemann1]

I found this online
3 lbs Soy flour (or whole wheat) Soy is better.

1lb Brewers yeast (get this from your local homebrew supply store).

1lb Fat-free dry milk powder

1 teaspoon crushed vitamin C tablets per 6 cups of dry mix.

 

[Bryang]

Michael Palmer posted his recipy for pollen patties a while ago...I've been looking for it but have drawn a blank..If my memory is right it was something like this..

17 LB (pound) of hot water
42 lb of sugar
Mix until sugar dissolves
6 cups of vegitable oil
Add 25 lb of UltraBee ...Very slowly....., while mixing it all the time
Keep mixing until all the lumps have gone...

Obviously reduce the quantities to the amount you need...Michael mixes his in a cement mixer..

 

[Millet]

Michael Palmer posted his recipy for pollen patties a while ago...I've been looking for it but have drawn a blank..If my memory is right it was something like this..

17 LB (pound) of hot water
42 lb of sugar
Mix until sugar dissolves
6 cups of vegitable oil
Add 25 lb of UltraBee ...Very slowly....., while mixing it all the time
Keep mixing until all the lumps have gone...

Obviously reduce the quantities to the amount you need...Michael mixes his in a cement mixer..

Thank you Bryan have seen all that palava...i would like to see someones experiences from mixing a lot smaller batch..and also where the ingredients to make this came from.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I asked bee-equipment when they might re stock the 10lb tub of Ultrabee. Waiting for a reply.
I made six patties from some of the tub yesterday. If you use invert you don’t have to add vegetable oil.
A slurp of invert in a large bowl, add Ultrabee a tablespoon at a time till you get the right consistency.
Each patty worked out about a pound and a quarter which suits me fine.

 

[Anduril]

A messy video from Richard Noel https://youtu.be/4sJOnhkcF1E

 

[rook66]

Do any of you forum elites have a mix of things that will make pollen patties that does not require a cement mixer..
My aim for next year (spring time) is have enough in the freezer for insurance just incase the weather is as pants as it is now..
Where do you get your ingredients from and what is your procedure for a mere twelve colonies..
Thanks
Steve.

A few years ago, during a lecture by Margaret Thomas she said it was a misnomer, there is no substitute for pollen!

 

[Erichalfbee]

A few years ago, during a lecture by Margaret Thomas she said it was a misnomer, there is no substitute for pollen!

So should we call it pollen-no-sub?

 

[Ian123]

Have only ever used substitutes a few times, here on the edge of suburbia there’s plenty of natural early sources and then most sites are in range of planted up gardens. What I would suggest is getting a couple of those underfloor traps for use in the home apiary. I collect jar and store in the freezer. You can then mix in with any substitute and improve it 10 fold whilst bulking it out and making it economical. What you add is purely dependant on how much you’ve collected. What I would say is only put on the hives in small amounts as the pollen can turn to mould as it’s not irradiated. You may also find a few hay fever suffers wanting a small jar of the bee leg free pollen, if that’s possible!!

 

[Murox]

So should we call it pollen-no-sub?

Maybe PRA - protein rich alternative.

 

[madasafish]

I use MP#s recipe scaled down to 2kgs pollen at a time (mildews if left unused)...It's fast and easy..Not too messy ..

 

[Swarm]

A few years ago, during a lecture by Margaret Thomas she said it was a misnomer, there is no substitute for pollen!

:Like:

 

[Millet]

A few years ago, during a lecture by Margaret Thomas she said it was a misnomer, there is no substitute for pollen!

If we have no pollen coming in through vile weather what are we supposed to do..? ..leave them to it and hope for the best..or give them a near as dam it substitute feed that obviously works ..otherwise Micheal Palmer would not waste his time with this supposedly rubbish recipe..

 

[Erichalfbee]

If we have no pollen coming in through vile weather what are we supposed to do..? ..leave them to it and hope for the best..or give them a near as dam it substitute feed that obviously works ..otherwise Micheal Palmer would not waste his time with this supposedly rubbish recipe..

My sentiments exactly.
Or should I be generous and suggest that Mrs Thomas is merely being pedantic?
Ultrabee in 10lb tubs is in stock again mid March according to supplier, by the way.

 

[Millet]

My sentiments exactly.
Or should I be generous and suggest that Mrs Thomas is merely being pedantic?
Ultrabee in 10lb tubs is in stock again mid March according to supplier, by the way.

Brilliant.. thank you for the heads up.. .

 

[Millet]

Or should I be generous and suggest that Mrs Thomas is merely being pedantic?

I do not know her and i have never heard of her so the last thing i will do is listen to advise from her..and before someone says she has this phd and that phd thee is not interested in the slightest..i have been on here a couple of years now and i know who too and who not to take advise from.

 

[rook66]

I do not know her and i have never heard of her so the last thing i will do is listen to advise from her..and before someone says she has this phd and that phd thee is not interested in the slightest..i have been on here a couple of years now and i know who too and who not to take advise from.

https://ebka.org/whats-on/archive/ted-hooper-memorial-lectures-2016/speaker-margaret-thomas/

 

[Murox]

If we have no pollen coming in through vile weather what are we supposed to do..? ..leave them to it and hope for the best..or give them a near as dam it substitute feed that obviously works ..otherwise Micheal Palmer would not waste his time with this supposedly rubbish recipe..

This was taken directly from a leaflet produced as part of the Healthy Bees Plan aimed at addressing the challenges facing beekeepers in sustaining the health of honey bees and beekeeping in England and Wales. Jointly developed by Governments, beekeepers, their associations and other stakeholders.

If you cannot source a pollen substitute it can be made up by
mixing 3 parts (by weight) soybean flour, 1 part dried brewer’s yeast and 1 part dry skimmed milk. Prepare a solution of 2 parts by volume of sugar to 1 part hot water.
Let the solution cool and mix one litre of this solution with 400 grams of the substitute. Form it into a cake and wrap in grease proof paper, if necessary they can be stored in a freezer. When using cut a small hole in the paper and place the package hole side down on the top bars over the cluster and preferably over open brood. The bees will tear the paper away and feed on the cake. It is important that the cake remains moist or bees will ignore it, so maintain the paper cover over the top.
The amount fed is variable depending on the strength of the colony and external conditions. A small colony on three frames may only need 50 grams a week whilst a very strong colony may require 500.
Maintain feeding substitutes until there is an adequate natural pollen crop as it may be detrimental to the colonies development to stop beforehand. This is because brood food production may be affected leading to the starvation of larvae.

Homemade pollen substitutes can be very variable in nutritional value due to the different ingredient brands. Generally it is better to obtain a commercial honeybee pollen substitute as the quality is assured.

 

[Millet]

Pollen patties on two..the other six will get a blob each tomorrow.

 

[Millet]

Generally it is better to obtain a commercial honeybee pollen substitute as the quality is assured.

That is exactly what i have done.. ..i used a company that feeds its own commercial hives on the same product that they make and that is what i am using..