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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Christine Gray <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 17 Dec 2003 09:35:49 -0000
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From: "Joe Miller (Bethel NC USA  " I was really hoping for some takers on
this one.  Isn't brewer's yeast a  key part of pollen substitute?"

I know I am taking us sideways ...but I have always believed (corerction
will follow) that pollen substitutes need a proportion of real pollen to be
effective.  Can I ask therefore, if you are a regular or prospective user of
pollen subs, do you already trap real pollen for feeding back next spring?
If so, could you collect just a bit more and so avoid need to try to concoct
some  artificial feed that will just do?   I have read that bees can collect
the same weight of pollen as of honey in a season - and if you have
flowering plants giving nectar,  u must have pollen sources.

Just asking , as in UK bees store adequate pollen under honey in the brood
nest  (provided of course colonies are left their full set of brood combs
unextracted)  and artificial feeds here are generally just extra work for
nothing.  Artificial pollen feeding would also introduce another dependency
that the beekeeper could misjudge and so hurt rather than help the colonies.
But I do realise that colonies have different needs where the climate is
more severe - or where there is a shortage of autumn pollen.

Robin Dartington

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