[bensmith0149]

I started 2 hives from packages. I gave each hive 1 Ultra Bee Patty.

The bee just finished eating the patties so now I want to know if there is any advantage to giving them another patty, because the weather is warm now and there is plenty of natural pollen coming in.

The first new bees will start to emerge about the end of this week.

 

[JWPalmer]

Give them a small piece each. They will not eat it when there is enough of the real thing available. You did not say when you got the packages, but consider that it takes about 56 days to go from egg to forager. Expect to feed sugar and pollen for something close to that with a new package.

Just saw the last sentence. So you have had them about three weeks, maybe four. Plan on another month of feeding pollen sub, although they may stop taking it sooner, and keep the sugar on them until you have both boxes of comb in each hive drawn.

 

[bensmith0149]

Well I am glad they will eat some more. The stuff comes in a 10 lb box.

 

[Ravenseye]

Well there's no harm but don't be offended if they stick with the real stuff. I'm personally not a fan of feeding protein when they can forage for it. All bets are off when a colony needs it but doesn't have it / can't find any. That's another story. But feeding just because you can isn't necessarily better than letting them bring in what is out there.

 

[JWPalmer]

Pollen sub does not appear to go bad when kept indoors, so the 10# box may last you several years. SHB love the patties and will quickly turn them into a seething mass of maggots if the bees do not eat them right away. In late summer, I provide the Ultra Bee dry powder in a feeder in case they need it. Once again, they will ignore it if there is real pollen available. This year I have a lot more pollen stored in the frames than I did last year, so they may not need as much.

 

[Tennessee's Bees LLC]

Once the colonies are about 8 frames of bees and there is a flow I don't feed anything. Those patties will come in handy during a dearth of pollen though.

 

[bensmith0149]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I am going to give them 1 more patty then save the rest incase of a pollen dearth.