grease patties

[FreeGrazer]

Can lard (animal fat) be used instead of Crisco (vegetable shorting) for grease patties?

[indypartridge]

I wouldn't. Bees are essentially herbivores and I don't believe animal fat would be good for them or well-received by them.

Why are you using grease patties? They were used for tracheal mites some years ago, but those haven't been a problem for most beekeepers in recent years.

If you do a search on "grease patties", you'll find several threads with more info.

[FreeGrazer]

I want to use the grease patties for a fall treatment of wintergreen (mites), lemon grass and spearmint oil (HB)

[Beeslave]

Vegetable shortening only. Lard will get way to soft when it warms

[Grant]

Everything I've read emphasizes vegetable oil like crisco.

Why your interest in lard? Crisco is not that expensive, even cheaper is the store-brand shortening.

And, BTW, both biscuits and sermons benefit from shortening.

Grant
Jackson, MO http://maxhoney.homestead.com

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[FreeGrazer]

I can get lard from a local butcher for free.

[mac]

I would think it might attract yellow jackets, dogs, raccoons, rats, cats, bears, skunks and what other critter ya have in your neighborhood. I’m just saying.

[Oldbee]

Oleic acid is one of the fatty acids that is present at 47% in animal lard. It is also present in vegetable shortening at only 18%.

"Oleic acid is emitted by the decaying corpses of a number of insects, including bees and Pogonomyrmexants and triggers the instincts of living workers to remove the dead bodies from the hive. If a live bee[9] or ant[10][11] is daubed with oleic acid, it is dragged off as if it were dead. This is why oleic acid is also sometimes referred as "smell of death". The repellent smell indicates to living insects how to avoid others that have succumbed to disease or places where predators lurk.[12]" > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleic_acid

I suppose vegetable shortening was used and recomended because it's more readily available than beef lard today, unless you render it down yourself from suet/tallow. I don't really know this for sure, but lard may go rancid faster than vegetable shortening. Beware of using something like this, just because it's free. This is one of those things that is not often thought about; [something for free/real cheap] that a substitute like brown sugar or molasses can be used to feed or treat bees when it's not good for them.

>Just thoughts.

Good point mac.

[FreeGrazer]

Thanks for the info. This is why I posted it I knew I would get good opinions. I better stick to the veg. shorting. Bee Source is great.

[FreeGrazer]

I also raise some pigs and do my own butchering, so I render down lard. I just thought I could do some recycling. Thanks for the good info.

[Brent Bean]

I quit using grease patties years ago, small hive beetles love them.
Obtain tracheal mite resistant bees or use formic acid treatment. There are other methods that also work very well. Grease patties effectiveness is questionable.