Again, yet another reason that many choose to not supplement.
If the brood pattern outgrows the cluster size - easy to do as the aging winter bees slowly dwindle away- bees may be spread too thin during a long cold spell and risk death by freezing and starvation. The larger the brood pattern, the more adult bees are needed to maintain the correct temperature. Because of this, many beekeepers elect to NOT supplement pollen, allowing nature to run its course with the bees only building up once they determine sufficient naturally available pollen is available.Īnother concern for adding pollen patties too soon is prolonged cold spells during buildup. This puts the hive in danger of running through their stores too fast and starving to death before the nectar flow begins. So does the colony’s need for energy and thus the need for more food. If you bump up your heat by 24✯ every day, your energy bill is going to go through the roof. In a broodless hive, clustering bees maintain a central temperature of around 70✯ while a hive with brood requires a temperature closer to 94✯. Compounding this issue is the necessity of increasing the temperature around the growing brood. The more brood a hive has, the more food that hive needs, and the faster they will run through their winter stores. When Should You Feed Pollen Patties?īefore plopping that patty down in the hive, understand there is a significant risk involved. The problem here is that spring buildup begins shortly after the winter solstice, a time when many areas may experience a lack of natural pollen making the use of pollen patties a justified management option. If an apiary is in a locale with limited pollen availability during spring buildup, the colony will suffer.
#Bee pollen substitute full
This buildup phase is akin to having a house full of growing teenage athletes with an unlimited need for food. To oversimplify, bees don’t always need tons of pollen in the hive because while there are specific times when pollen is crucial to a hive’s continued existence, there are times when an abundance of pollen may actually be detrimental to a hive.ĭuring times of intense population buildup, such as late winter and spring, colonies strive to maximize colony size prior to the first anticipated nectar flow, which usually occurs in early to mid-spring.
This is where the differing opinions come into play. This dependence on a sufficient protein source is the driving force behind the idea of adding pollen patties to one’s hives. Protein is so important that in the absence of sufficient pollen, brood production drops significantly, even coming to a complete halt in many cases. Protein, on the other hand, comes from pollen and is consumed primarily by larvae with very little going to adult bees. These carbs provide the energy needed for adults to conduct their day-to-day business such as foraging, house duties, and guarding the hive. For bees, carbs come from honey and/or sugar syrup. Just as in human diets, bees need a carbohydrate source and a protein source. To best utilize pollen patties, an understanding of pollen’s use in the hive is in order.
#Bee pollen substitute how to
Today we’ll explore why honey bees need pollen and how to make pollen patties. And while many opinions do exist - like anything beekeeping related - there are a few tenets on how to feed honey bees pollen patties that are good to adhere to as you learn what works best in your own bee yard.
Of all the honey bee feed supplements available on the market today, pollen patties are, perhaps, the most commonly explored supplement in today’s apiaries.
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