>My understanding is that natural pollen, if not kept in a freezer until the

> patties are made, deteriorates and can degrade to a worse food source than
> the supplements.


I have the same understanding.  Did that.

>
> >As for the supplements, many people, myself included, have compared them
> on
> far larger numbers of hives than 162 every year for decades.


As have many of us Calif beekeepers, feeding many tens of thousands of
hives.  It is exactly those beekeepers who have expressed the most interest
in my results.

>
> >And almonds aren't the "acid test" for bees, apples are. :)
>

I apologize for being unclear.  The "acid test" is to attempt to "grow"
colonies when no natural pollen is available.  This occurs in my area
during the 6 months from early August until the beginning of almond bloom,
our first major natural pollen source.


> >By comparison, almond orchards ... even have DITCHED and CROWNED
> roadbeds!
>

Would be nice if our Northern Calif almond orchards were as nice as those
in the sandy and dry South Valley!

>
> >Just joking, but real beekeepers feed their bees pollen patties while
> wearing parkas and standing in a foot of snow.
>

What's the joke?  That is exactly what we do--snow, sleet, rain, wind; when
our bees need to be fed, we dress accordingly and feed them!  Also graft
and raise queen cells under those conditions.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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