[DaveInThePacNW]

Bees won't eat this stuff dry or made into patties...anyone else have the same problem? I think it's a serious waste of $$$.

Which begs another question...do I even need to feed them pollen substitutes now???

Which leads to an additional question, my chalkbrood problem has been hanging on since early April....is this normal and how soon should it disappear?

Thanks a ton for your help.

 

[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.