**I suppose that your 3% winter protein meaning is to help hives over short winter that CDD does not burst in the hive**
if you are feeding the 3% winter patty as a EMERGENCY feed because your hive is light on stores then it also is likely that your bees are protein deficient -small amount of protein will restore deficacy-but at the same time it is such a small amount -it wont overload the bees gut-bee can deal with this small amount even if snow bound
** you have thousands of hives in small areas and hives do not get there food.**
they dont have adequate forage ---because its WINTER-HELLO FINSKI ITS WINTER -there is no bloom-- :lol:
** nosema makes its dirty job before I start the patty feeding.**
If you feed sub BEFORE your hive makes its BROOD NEST TURN from sumer bees to long lived winter bees
your bees will be rich with protein enriched body fat and hypngernal glands will be full of the best quality
bee milk which will be passed through out the colony at its need-also if you take this time and treat with
a natural product -you have the benefit of AVOIDING the nosema that comes at winters end-your bees are weakened from the STRESS of a long winter-(I have said before you need strong bees for winters sleep) if bees go into winter protein deprived they are going to suffer many perils-here is a link to one of many products that have the oak tannin
http://www.nozevit.com/Product%20Info.htm ** I feed patty 2 months. April has not much pollen sources**
this is good for you-but your bees must be in fit condition in order for this to benefit-otherwise they wont even consume the protein they need --- :) RDY-B