From: deelusbybeekeeper <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Mon Dec 18, 2000 9:11am
Subject: Re: girls on small cells, regressing bees

Hi to all

> Robert B wrote:
>
> Short answer...There is a difference between raising workers for foraging
> and drones and queens for breeding.

Dave C wrote:

> No problem with pollen subtitute for your plan but use the "real McCoy" for
> breeding.

Reply mine:

Robert, if you want good general colonies like good breeder colonies and
want to be a good biological beekeeper, you will not use artificial foods
and feeds what-so-ever. Also you do not want to give your bees habits of
dependency. You want them to survive on their own and if they cannot then
you have altered them into submission and this is not natural.

Artifcial pollen when fed longer then 6-8 weeks pulls bees down and they
don't in the long run build up as fast as bees on real pollen. It also
doesn't have the full compliment of vitamins and minerals associated with
real pollen, nor give your bees a learning taste for what they need to go
out and acquire in the real world.

It's like with you growing up. You develop a taste for foods by what you are
fed and then when you go out on your own you know what to continue to eat or
in this case gather. Same with honey in a way. You might think I am crazy
but think about it and try it. The bees will react better in the long run.

Sincerely,

Dee A. Lusby