Substitue pollen patties and feeding

[Floyd]

I am considering trying pollen patties(with no pollen!) this year as build up is slow here due to lack of early pollen source.

Most recipes have an added multivitamin but have found this brewers yeast that is enriched with vitamins. Do you think that this is suitable when mixed with the Soya flour and dried milk?

www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/colombine-spec...ogleShopping&gclid=COaW5Oy_6bwCFa-WtAodhRMAZw

Also can the patties be feed whilst feeding fondant or syrup?

Cheers in advance

 

[sipa]

Protein feeding is a good thing, if used in the correct way, at the right time, with the right product.
There are some products around that make claims that actually don't mean a lot.
Claiming to have more of this or that makes no sense at all, balance, digestibility and palatability are the keys to success and the wellbeing of your bees.

Bees require all 10 Essential Amino Acids to be in balance, not 9 !

And Isoleucine has to meet, not exceed 100% of requirement to facilitate
the use of all available protein. 50% of Isoleucine requirement supplied means the bees can only utilise 50% of the rest of the protein available. Too much is a complete waste of money.
Protein Feeding of bees properly is a complex subject, not for the kitchen sink !

 

[beeno]

Hi Floyd,
If I were you, I would do what the 'big boys' do in your locale.

 

[itma]

Floyd, it is February. You are in the Scottish Highlands.

If there's not much early pollen, when is your earliest nectar flow? No point in pushing the bees to build up before there is any real forage for them.

If you were down South, anticipating OSR, I could see the point, but I'd suspect that for your locale, it might be a few weeks early to be worrying about build-up.

Not telling, just asking the question.

 

[oliver90owner]

build up is slow here due to lack of early pollen source

You are in the scottish highlands and it is only mid to late February. What are you expecting?

Secondly bees usually store pollen for spring build up and only use spring pollen when they can fly for it

Water is likely more, or just as, important for brooding.

I would only be encouraging brooding now and I am a few miles south of you.

Winter may be only arriving shortly and maybe your bees are clever enough not to be brooding too much this early.

 

[Floyd]

When I mentioned that build up was slow, i was referring to historical observations. Not the hives current situation.

My main nectar sources tend to be wild flower starting around mid May. However as I have found in the past, build up of the hive is slow and I feel that I am missing out on the available nectar due to the slow build up.

I was not intending starting just yet but at around the same time as my spring feeding. Am certainly aware that winter could be just around the corner, there is always the chance "lambing Snow"

 

[dpearce4]

I use Charnwood milling for my brewers yeast to make my pollen substitute the product is 5th down on the list.

http://www.charnwoodmilling.co.uk/mail-order/Horse_Food.html

the price is for 25kg but if you phone them they will do smaller quantities.

hopes this helps anyone that needs larger quantities.