Pollen

Do you buy the ready made Pollen or can you make your own? Dale

Generally I do neither. When I do try to feed pollen I mix real pollen with commercial pollen substitue. The best thing is to trap your own pollen. I have not had real good sucess at feeding it though. When I put pollen in a hive the housekeepers just dump it in front of the hive. If I make a patty with honey and pollen, the bees just ignore it. Early in the spring I see my bees rolling in the chicken scratch and the chicken mash. So I would think they would want my some pollen. I think the best I could do would be to set an empty hive near where they are rolling and put some pollen and or substitue there. I have tried just using soy flour, but I think it's lacking in a lot of nutrieunts. The pollen substitute is better, but no where near as good as the pollen.

Good luck.

Russ, You can buy pollen. BUT, the best pollen for your bees is there own pollen. If you do not know where the pollen is coming from you may be getting things you do not want your bees to have. In the back of BEE CULTURE magazine there are ads for pollen. If you are interested in collecting your own pollen most bee supply catalogs have for sale pollen collecters. The Pollen Trap that I use, very sucessfully, is the Sundance Wooden Pollen Trap by Ross Rounds. I both sell to the public and feed the bees pollen. Steve

I trap pollen too, but usually for queens. You can make pollen patties with soybean flour, and some real pollen. It seems to be hit and miss with the bees, but if they are hungry, they will use it. Your own pollen from your area is the best though.

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Dale Richards
Dal-Col Apiaries
Drums, PA