[Belewsboy]

I am a firm believer in the sugar brick. Used them this winter and am sure placing the bricks over the cluster saved some of my hives...even though they were full of honey. Now I have taken them to the next step. I now make up the sugar brick with a lot of BeePro powder in the mix. The bees won't touch my pollen patties, but they are tearing up the "Pollen Bricks". They luv 'em!

 

[Vance G]

If the bees won't touch your patties, there is something wrong with them or they have no feeding attractant build in and the bees are finding something they like better. The sugar bricks per Lauri's recipe have a feeding attractant I believe. Mine do.

 

[PAHunter62]

I made up a batch of Lauri's protein patties a couple weeks ago and added a couple ice cream scoops onto the larger hives and a single onto my NUCs. When I got to the hives about 10 days later or so, most all the hives had consumed all of it. A couple did not. Vance is right, there is a stimulant in the recipe. I waited until the long range forecast showed good flying days throughout. Once you start with the protein, they are going to need to cleanse more often.

Mixing it in with the sugar is a good way too. Frustrating to go through the trouble to make patties and have they dry out and not be touched!

 

[Belewsboy]

So what's the stimulant / attractant?

 

[Vance G]

Lemon grass oil is used in a lot of stuff to stimulate the bees to take feed. It works well. Without it, bees will leave syrup to go gather nectar every time. With it, the bees take the syrup.

 

[tacomabees]

Lemon grass oil is used in a lot of stuff to stimulate the bees to take feed. It works well. Without it, bees will leave syrup to go gather nectar every time. With it, the bees take the syrup.

Lemongrass oil is also what I put into the mix and they seem to like it...I've just put on Lauri's patty mix on now that the weather has turned warmer. When I checked them today, they were lined up around the edges like tourists in poolside bar, eating away...

You might also use mint oil...

I think on Laurie's website she also talks about mixing BeePro in the sugar recipe but it was for a winter feeding preparation. Her suggestions was not to put a layer on the bottom of the pan, it just get's gummy but I don't think she mixed it in...what was the texture with the BeePro mixed in it? How did it set up for cutting into blocks? How long did it take to set up or was it a loose mix?

Here is a link to her set up if you want to see it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...15503324.91053.256954971040510&type=1&theater

 

[PAHunter62]

Pro Health and Honey B Healthy are two essential oil mixes often used as feeding stimulates. I do not use in syrup anymore, but will add a little to sugar bricks and protein patties. Using it in syrup can trigger robbing if you are not careful.