Thanks guys for your replies... i decided to take a different path with the hive that i needed pollen patties for - there just wasnt enough bees to keep the hive viable so i made a nuc and introduced the queen from this colony in to that. There's about 50 bees left from the original colony and the queen had laid some eggs - a bit of brood hatched the other day so maybe they might turn one of those eggs in to a queen cell but if they do it will be a real project to get this tiny hive going... i'l keep you posted.
In regard bringing in pollen - when i opened my main hive the other day i was watching what the girls were bringing in! they were loaded with pollen! bright yellow and there was this amazingly vivid bright red pollen on a few as well! i love seeing the chequered pollen colours on a frame