bees gathering powder from animal grains

[bbuddy]

I have 3 TTBH, and the bees have been out in force, as we are getting 50 to 70 degree days right now, although it still gets well below freezing at night. Last night 17F today is 61F.

There is NOTHING blooming now, won't be for a while. (rural Aridzona)

The bees are flying all over, and spending a lot of time getting to my grain barrels, where corn, oats, and barley are stored, also into a chicken feed barrel. They coat themselves with grain powder.

Is this actual food they can use as a pollen substitute? Or should I do my best to keep them out?

I have put 1:1 sugar syrup out for them, they really go for that as well....

[Ueli Hoffmann]

Pollen substitutes for bees include common animal feed ingredients such as soyflour, corn gluten, barley flour, and other commercial feed supplements.

[bbuddy]

Pollen substitutes for bees include common animal feed ingredients such as soyflour, corn gluten, barley flour, and other commercial feed supplements.

I'm glad to know it won't hurt them or keep them from getting "better" food, as there isn't any "better" food here right now, lol.

Actually, wild bees getting into my animal feed two years ago is what made me believe I could keep bees around here, especially when I found that Tamarisk is a bee food. We have LOTS of Tamarisk...

now I can rest easy knowing I'm not hurting them.