[Joseph Clemens]

When natural pollen is available for them to forage, they'll usually ignore pollen substitute. Once natural pollen is less available, they will begin taking pollen substitutes, Bee-Pro included.

Besides the presence of the infecting fungi and an environment conducive to the brood infection, is a genetic predisposition to the disease. The usual remedy is to quickly requeen with resistant stock.

 

[DaveInThePacNW]

Hey Joseph Clemens, thanks for your response. They wouldn't eat that stuff earlier this spring either when nothing was available...hmmm...guess I'll keep it and try it again this fall.

 

[Ian]

They will eat the protein sub when they need it. Consumption slows down during flows.

 

[Beeonefarms]

Michael Bush:
The best pollen to feed the bees is pollen. If you want to make it into patties, then mix it with enough honey to make a paste and press it between two pieces of waxed paper. If you can't get enough pollen mix the pollen 50/50 with some expellor prcessed soy flour.

 

[ccar2000]

If you want to try something different, I open fed this dry recipe I found on Besource in July. Soy flour, nutritional yeast and nonfat dry milk in a 4:1:1 ratio. I placed the feeder across the yard from my hives and the girls took it readily and I had the greatest populated hives in my experience going into winter. I employed a blade type coffee grinder to grind the mixture in small batches.

 

[camero7]

I have used the Bee-Pro for several years. Bees eat it well. Randy Oliver did a field study of pollen subs and found Bee-Pro to be one of the best. The only time bees won't eat the patties in spring here is when they are queenless. Spring is generally the only time I feed it. Some times on splits to help the bees build up.