[ajs32]

jan in upstate ny...i have about two pounds of sugar/grease patties left was thinkin of adding in powdered sugar and combining into one cake and putting in top of hive to help through till april...can they have too much of the grease patties?

 

[concrete-bees]

i think that its not to much that you have to worry about - its when is it too early to put on patties-
remember what patties are for ..... pollen intake ... more pollen = more brood .... this is good but if you start pollen you have to keep going and going and going until flowers bring in natrual pollen - IF you stop even for a week or two it can lead to starvation becouse the queen had layed eggs thinking that they had plent to spare -

what im doing this year is giving them half pound patties every other week - this way they dont get out of hand - but im march ill kick it up to full pound patties and run them untill the dandilions .... hope this helps

 

[honeydreams]

Grease patties do two things 1 feed the bees sugar second keep the T mite down to almost zero. they are not for pollen substitute.

 

[concrete-bees]

honeydream -
you are right - i was thinking pollen patties for some reason - my mistake

 

[sqkcrk]

jan in upstate ny...i have about two pounds of sugar/grease patties left was thinkin of adding in powdered sugar and combining into one cake and putting in top of hive to help through till april...can they have too much of the grease patties?

Leave them off and leave your bees alone until some time in March or April.

 

[BEES4U]

can they have too much of the grease patties?

How much in weight were the grease patties that you put on the beees last fall?
They may have some of the patty left over from last fall.
Ernie