[crab414]

It's finally warm enough and the bees are flying! I put out some dry Ultra Bee to keep the bees out of the pig's feed. The pig food has molasses in it and I want to keep them busy on something else. What I want to know is do the bees actually metabolize the sub? We know the fresh pollen gets sealed with honey and enzymes to make the amino acids usable for digestibility. Do they consume the sub as is or does it get the same treatment as real pollen? Thanks!

 

[Vance G]

Bees metabolize a lot of fresh pollen directly into babyfood and the treatment they give pollen they store is more important for storage than nutrition is my belief. The Global patties 15% pollen product I use sure seems to produce a lot of brood and the bees readily consume fresh product any time of the year I have fed it. I do not feed after mid October and do not start again until mid February. I have on occasion seen it stored but when I see big patches of natural pollen beside brood I discontinue feeding. I feed splits until they have become a strong colony.

 

[crab414]

Thanks Vance, I appreciate your response. They took a lot today and tomorrow will be even warmer. Then it's back to winter. Would they start brooding up if I'm open feeding the pollen sub?

 

[mbear]

I assume that by open feeding you mean outside the hive. It has to be warm enough for them to do that. I am not a biologist but I would be willing to bet it will take more than one or two days of pollen to kick the queen into high gear.
I put my first patties of the year in the hives this weekend. It is certainly my hope that this will get them to start brooding up. It rains so much here that I want to give my hives all the help I can. They have sugar patties and I will start feeding 2 to 1 any time it is not raining and in the 50's.
The big thing is once you start feeding them you can't stop until mother nature catches up to their needs.

 

[crab414]

Mbear, that's what I wanted to hear. We've got six more weeks of inclement weather. I'm worried about them brooding up to soon. I'll probably put the patties on at the end of March. Based on my whole one year of experience, I'm playing it safe!