Pollen Sub

[Finman]

Would be interested to know if it is beneficial in the uk, or whether the bees get enough without our help.
...

When I start 3 weeks before willow blooming, i cannot know, what is the next 2 months ahead. I just start.

When bees forage pollen and get 500 g patty in a week, they store a lot pollen in lowest box. But couple weeks after feeding I cannot find extra stores, they have changes all to brood.

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[charlievictorbravo]

Interesting, but possibly too late to organise for this season.

Would be interested to know if it is beneficial in the uk, or whether the bees get enough without our help.
The long term wether forecast for the next few weeks is not looking particularly cold...

Look at my post #54 which gives a reference to Australian Gov't research. Beekeeping is big business in Oz and those involved are very knowledgeable. They will know when certain trees are due to flower and know how much good pollen they produce, along with the nectar. If the pollen available in poor in quality or quantity, they will feed a pollen substitute, which usually contains some pollen, to keep the bees on good order until good pollen sources become available.

I believe Finman uses his Pollen substitute as a means of getting his bees' season started early in order to have bees available for early season "pastures", which will maximise his honey harvest. He will know the economics of Pollen Substitute cost v. honey income and I doubt that the pollen feeding does not earn its cost many times over.

CVB

 

[Hivemaker.]

Would be interested to know if it is beneficial in the uk, or whether the bees get enough without our help.
The long term wether forecast for the next few weeks is not looking particularly cold...

Cannot say about other areas, but here they are able to collect plenty of pollen themselves, plenty of good gorse pollen available all year round, also plenty of hazel among other things around at the moment.

 

[Finman]

.
Australians use pollen sub, because they have plants, which do not give enough amino acids to bees.

Kiwi has no protein in pollen.
Alfa alfa has lack of couple amino acids, and bees cannot rear larvae with its pollen.

And their dry seasons.



Me? I get my yield season longer when bees are ready to forage 3weeks earlier.
Then I can support weak hives with strong hives' brood and I get them earlier to forage real yields.

I have tried to get dandelion yields 20 years, but I must admit, that our spring is too cold for that foraging.

Next opportunity is raspberry. It gives 5-7 kg honey/ day. Those foragers must be reared at the first half of May. To that patty works perfectly. At same time rape fields start to bloom too.





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[peteinwilts]

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I have tried to get dandelion yields 20 years, but I must admit, that our spring is too cold for that foraging.
.

Personally, I wouldn't miss the dandelion honey. One of my apiary's is nearby an area where dandelions grow like grass, and the ground is carpeted with yellow. The hives (and honey) smells like old socks.

It could be a useful tactic in areas with high hive concentration when pickings are small in early spring. I am tempted to trial 50% of my hives with a pollen substitute for a few years and see what happens, but with the current long range forecast, and the time it takes to ship from Oz, can see little value this year....

 

[Cussword]

The hives (and honey) smells like old socks.

That's nice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Cannot say about other areas, but here they are able to collect plenty of pollen themselves, plenty of good gorse pollen available all year round, also plenty of hazel among other things around at the moment.

Same here

 

[Finman]

Same here

But not here.
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[jenkinsbrynmair]

But not here.
.

but we're here, not there - although sometimes I wonder whether you're not all there either

 

[Finman]

but we're here, not there - although sometimes I wonder whether you're not all there either

Perhaps you get there pollen, but you do not get honey.

I get in TWO DAYS the average honey yield of Wales.

I cannot see anything to smile in that.

Fed with patty 2 months earlier

110 kg in 1.5 months and drew 3 boxes foundations.
Before balance 50 kg honey from raspberry.

http://koti.tnnet.fi/web144/vaakapesa/selaa.php?vuosi=2013&kunta=112

That small brown line is AS period. 50 kg in 7 days.

The whole yield 170 kg.
.

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[jenkinsbrynmair]

well, I suppose you finnish three hive owners have got time to fiddle around with extension leads, heat mats, pollen patties and roll your own syrup which helps with maximising your alleged yield (whilst still ensuring the smooth running of Helsinki's car parks

 

[Finman]

well, I suppose you finnish three hive owners have got time to fiddle around with extension leads, heat mats, pollen patties and roll your own syrup which helps with maximising your alleged yield (whilst still ensuring the smooth running of Helsinki's car parks

Laugh. It releases all good feelings.

Do not spend your only life with sniffing odd peoples' trunk.
.

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[charlievictorbravo]

Do not spend your only life with sniffing odd peoples' trunk.

I think something got lost in the translation - can anybody help out here? Is it a Finnish proverb?

CVB

 

[Finman]

I think something got lost in the translation - can anybody help out here? Is it a Finnish proverb?

CVB

I save you for further details. Act was not so bad as meaning.
.different climate.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think something got lost in the translation - can anybody help out here? Is it a Finnish proverb?

CVB

It's 1530hrs - I suppose the Stolly's kicked in

 

[BeeJayBee]

When I start 3 weeks before willow blooming,

You're lucky that Finnish willow is so well-disciplined that you know on which day it will start flowering each year. In Britain we aren't so lucky.

Perhaps we should import some Finnish willow, then we could start beekeeping by calendar rather than having to organise our beekeeping according to our climate and local conditions.

,i cannot know, what is the next 2 months ahead. I just start.

Ah! So you don't know, you guess?

 

[Finman]

Ah! So you don't know, you guess?

I do not ques anything for next two months weather. It comes what it comes.
Why should I quess the weather, how much rain, how much temperature, can bees go to willows.

Willows and trees bloom, but mostly for weather is so bad, that bees cannot come out.
.
Sometimes spring is good, and bees forage lots of pollen, often it is rainy, and bees stop larva rearing when they cannot get pollen. They use to are part if larvae in the need if protein..

But However, when I start, we have nothing to forage in nature in April. Mostly willows start first of May. 8 years out of 10.

Patty ensure the protein supply.

Our willows start to bloom, when soil frost melts away.

And that if a reaction from sun's shining angle. It is same every year.