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Author Topic: Pollen substitute  (Read 3004 times)

Offline orvette1

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Pollen substitute
« on: December 27, 2012, 03:23:40 am »
I plan on feeding my bees so they will make more brood. However, I can't use pollen patties because of the SHB. Here in Hawaii they are really bad. They will also eat the patties. Any ideas how to get the pollen substitute into the hive without making patties?

Offline RHBee

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2012, 06:10:42 am »
Aloha, Search out "open feeding". I've read several posts about feeding pollen substitute that way. Here in South Carolina the SHB are killers. Last year I kinda went OCD on them cause I had a small colony over ran. I'm sorry to hear they have invaded the islands.
Later,
Ray

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2012, 06:13:46 am »
Make very small patties so that the bees eat the patties in a day or two. If my memory serves me right, you have mites.  A study was done recently on feeding bees and effects and the initial test showed that pollen substitutes caused drastic increases in mite population. Use real pollen. Does not have the same effect. Keep in mind this was the initial finding and at the time of the posting, had not been repeated.
Here is the thread:
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,39413.msg331801.html#msg331801
Jim
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Offline BjornBee

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2012, 08:23:48 am »
The pollen patties had NOT been shown to increase mites. What happened was the bees fed pollen sub patties had more mites. But the reasoning is unknown, the sample too small, and the testing unverified. The study did not show that "feeding pollen patties drastic increases mite levels". Where did the study claim this? It just states that one model, the one fed pollen substitute, had more mites. And that additional testing was needed to find out why. The reasons could be many and not even connected with what they were being fed.

The test model also is far different than actual in the field real world application. No drones were allowed, the bees were noted as being very hard to keep alive inside tents, making model 2 and 3 different from model #1. And there is no reference to what the levels of mites were prior to starting the testing. Basically the mite levels were "noted" and found afterwards. It was not a controlled study looking at mite levels being effected by feeding models. Many controlled tests over the years were found to be far different when you took the test beyond lab testing to field testing in real world application.

The claim of real pollen had no effect on mites, is false for about every point just made. You can not conclude that anywhere from the study.

On a side note...initial incomplete testing, and random findings, are the basis of many grant and funding applications. Now that there are so many questions, the funding source for additional testing I am sure is in the works. This type incomplete testing, is very common in research. The actual results of later tests may or may not show what was originally thought to be true. But what it will do, is have many other questions that will need to be answered. And that, will be the basis of additional grants and funding. And so it is repeated. The key for beekeepers is to not knee jerk react everytime something like this pops up.  ;) This is no way intended to be negative towards JB, as I have great respect for her. It just is how the game is played.

Also...Open feeding is rarely successful unless there is NO real pollen available. Since the OP mentions "more brood" I will assume the bees are brooding off some type nectar and pollen flow, even if it is small.

I agree that small pollen patties, 1 or 2 days feed, is probably best.

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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2012, 10:20:58 pm »
I plan on feeding my bees so they will make more brood. However, I can't use pollen patties because of the SHB. Here in Hawaii they are really bad. They will also eat the patties. Any ideas how to get the pollen substitute into the hive without making patties?

 Hawaii should have some pollen year round -why do you need to feed patties -tell
 me about bees in hawaii--
I think that in conditions such as yours that something like mega bee would be great in its liqud diet
bees would consume fast as its in the sryup --feed it from inverted jars -so its never realy in the hive
 8-) RDY-B

  http://scientificbeekeeping.com/fat-bees-part-3/
« Last Edit: December 27, 2012, 10:53:39 pm by rdy-b »

Offline orvette1

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2012, 03:30:33 am »
Thank you all for the ideas.  As I said, I can't use patties because of SHB.  I will try some of the ideas given along with some of my own.
This will be a learning experience. It has been very dry here so I need to give them something to make brood. Not much pollen or nectar right now. I have lost 3 hives in the last 6 months to SHB so I am trying to rebuild my hives. One hive was very strong, but was overwhelmed with the SHB. One hive was two years old and fell. I am going to try putting some pollen sub in a AJ beetle eater without the grate and see what happens. My hives are too far away to check every 1-2 days, I would go broke on the gas.   
 :-D

Offline saperica

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Re: Pollen substitute
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2013, 04:31:11 am »
well, if you need a pollen put outside a box whit a top cover and pour inside a soy flour whit small amount of fat, or made a sugar and bakers yeast patties and put on the top bars.
if is time of year that is no honey flow treat whit perizin or check mite strips for SHB.

 

anything