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Author Topic: Pollen Patty question  (Read 9358 times)

Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2008, 06:54:53 pm »
There are no frames of honey left in the brood box. It all sits above them in the medium super. Now would be a great time for someone to throw their...It would be better if all your boxes were the same!!! Now I am seriously considering it.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2008, 08:41:22 pm »
  ;)  :lol:  8-)

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2008, 09:01:30 pm »
You know, if you had all the same boxes.......  :-D
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Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2008, 09:45:47 pm »
I am a ROOKIE!!! And it shows. :-D

Offline BMAC

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #24 on: January 10, 2008, 11:36:32 am »
Locust,  I dont know where you live in NC, however it looks like Greensboro is going to stay for highs between high 40s and mid 60s from here on out.  I personally would be feeding them thin Spring syrup and pollen patties now. 

Even if you get a cold front that moves through it probably will not last more than a day or 2.  Let them raise brood. 

Also another note on the pollen patties.  If your hives are weak then split the pollen patty in 1/2 and place the pollen patty as close to the nurse bees as possible.  Let them raise brood so you can split or atleast have overwhelming force to collect nectar........
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #25 on: January 10, 2008, 12:51:25 pm »
If you give them a patty and they need it, they will eat it. If they dont, they wont. By supplying pollen now, you will jump start the brood process giving you more bees when the flow does arrive and a jump start on spring. Will also promote swarming if not monitored as polpulation increases

As for brood reducing honey, it is true. I lost a queen during the flow, by the time a new queen was laying, this hive had clearly out produced the one next to it w/   a laying queen. Nonetheless, I would give up a little honey any day for a stronger bigger hive. If you want lots of hioney, combine a hive right before a flow, and do a spli afterwards.
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Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #26 on: January 10, 2008, 12:54:43 pm »
Greensboro is it.  That sounds like what I will do. This has helped me so much. Now I can tell my boys we get to mess with the bees!!!! They will be very excited. Patties and spring syrup. Here goes.

Offline BMAC

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #27 on: January 10, 2008, 01:06:32 pm »
Outstanding.  Greensboro was a lucky stab.  I just picked a northen city in NC. 

I dont think you will have any problems.  Do the bees a favor and when you make your syrup mix it with hot tap water instead of cold.  1 this will liquify the sugar faster.  2 this will add some heat to the colony and encourage the girls to suck up the sugary mix.  It will also allow them to place the syrup all around the brood.  by doing so this should eliminate the need for the rest of the stored honey.

Do note.  It sounds like you are going to go ahead and start feeding them.  You will have to keep feeding them until the flow starts, otherwise you may lose the entire colony due to starvation.  Remember it takes 1 frame of pollen and 1 frame of honey to make 1 frame of brood.
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Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2008, 01:17:39 pm »
I heat my water on the stove and mix the sugar in that way. NOT to a boil though. Then I cool it and feed. How cool can it (the temperature outside) be before I can't slide the pollen patty in the top??? Would you put it in if the temp was 50 degrees??

Offline BMAC

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2008, 01:29:31 pm »
In a heart beat.  50 is fine.  Just make sure you put it in the center of the cluster of bees.  Also it is better to feed them a smaller than you htink amount.  Remember you can always check 1 week later and feed more if needed. 

Pollen Patties are expensive so waste not, want not.  The full size patties are for really really strong colonies.
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #30 on: January 10, 2008, 03:26:23 pm »
I use half a patty for big hive, and less for smaller hives. When pollen becomes available, they tend to abandon patty. I freeze the patty when I dont need them.
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Offline BMAC

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #31 on: January 10, 2008, 03:31:13 pm »
amen
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Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #32 on: January 10, 2008, 07:18:29 pm »
Would you combine any of the hives if there are less than ---- frames???  Fill in the blank.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #33 on: January 10, 2008, 11:28:26 pm »
LocustHoney.  OK, I feel like I have to jump in on this thread.  The bees throughout the winter will raise little patches of brood, as those brood hatch and are able to tend the larvae, the hive grows, bit by bit.  This is my take on what happens.  If you feed pollen patty, they will only use it if they do not have enough pollen stores of their own. Their preference is for the natural pollen that they collect.  There, in my opinion, is absolutely no harm to feed pollen patty, if they need it they will use it, plain and simply.  There have been some pretty interesting comments made here in this thread, it was a good read.  Have a great, wonderful day.  Cindi
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #34 on: January 10, 2008, 11:59:21 pm »
>If they need it they will use it<   Dont worry they will eat it even if they dont need the supplemental pollen -it is made with sugar as an ingredient so they will take it-my bees take a minimum of three rounds of patties -you need to keep making some young bees or the old bees wont be able to make bee milk and feed the larvae -so you need enough bees to keep it warm for some brood -if they dont raise any then all you got is old weak bees that cant take cold very good and cant feed larvae- it is all relevant RDY-B

Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #35 on: January 11, 2008, 06:02:32 pm »
Thanks for the info Cindi. That explains why I see capped brood in small patches near the top of the frames in the brood box (just below the honey supers). I am going to have to agree with all that I have been reading from you guys. I need to feed pollen.

Offline LocustHoney

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #36 on: January 11, 2008, 10:20:17 pm »
One last question!!!!!!!! Should I be concerned about the temps that dip down into the twenties????

Offline NWIN Beekeeper

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #37 on: January 12, 2008, 06:09:58 am »
[One last question!!!!!!!! Should I be concerned about the temps that dip down into the twenties?]

What are you talking about?

I have twenties as a high during the day!

When it gets into the 30's its Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Time!!!

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Online Michael Bush

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Re: Pollen Patty question
« Reply #38 on: January 12, 2008, 08:33:32 am »
>When it gets into the 30's its Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Time!!!

Agreed.  I look forward to temps in the 20's...
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