> For those using patties:  How do you know they are being eaten and not 
> just chewed up and chucked out of the hive?

That is always a good question and, of course on that concerns us, so we 
observe what the bees are doing -- whether they are ingesting it or chewing 
it off and dropping it.

We look for granules on the floor.  I don't know about you, but some of us 
examine the stuff on the floor periodically with a microscope or magnifying 
glass.  It is quite interesting, and yes, we do see the odd grain of patty, 
along with granules of honey, paper, frass, brood fragments sometimes, wax 
scales, varroa in all stages, etc. etc. etc, but they are insignificant 
usually.

Can't say as I have *ever* seen properly made yeast/soy/sugar patties torn 
up and dropped down by the bees and thrown out the door.  The wax paper, 
though, definitely yes.

Be assured that anyone who spends tens of thousands of dollars a year on 
patties will be watching for results and for any sign of wastage.

Some feeds do get hard and get thrown out.  BeePro, when made into patties 
has a reputation for caking and becoming hard enough that the bees refuse 
it.  Nonetheless, there was a large beekeeper in Southern Alberta who has 
always used BeePro as the main ingredient in his patties until this year 
when he finally changed to yeast and soy.  Some say the size of particle is 
important, but the yeasts and soy used by beekeepers seems to be just fine 
for patty use.  (They would not work in a liquid diet, though).

For that matter, this is one benefit of the wax paper design over just 
globbing the stuff on.  Patties have a definite form and can be moved 
around.  They stay moist and edible, too. 

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