> As far as beekeepers thinking that one or two patties are enough, that is
> no
> longer the case with successful US commercial beeks.  Many are feeding
> 15-30
> lbs per year.

One has to ponder the *why*.

And also the * why now* when we never had to or *needed to * before.

Still scratching my head over feedlot beekeepeing ( and the costs!)

None of my friends feed over ten and most only 5-10 ( all year total). I
usually feed maybe 4-5 in spring.

California beekeeping is from most stats around 400,000 of the countries
over two million hives.

I have been pulling frames of fall pollen in Missouri. Too much pollen! Best
bees in years.
I fed pollen patties in spring in February to build hives for apples &
splitting. We get tree pollen in March and another reason to feed patties is
the weather is too bad for bees to fly some years then.

We had a month of warm weather the last thirty ( 60 F. today) and feeding
pollen would have been a waste of money. I want the bees to *shut down* as
the hives are full of winter bees now!

Bees will freeze in winter clustered over full frames of pollen.

All beekeeping is local and all I am saying is feeding pollen sub is not
needed at higher levels than I use now in *my* bees.  I can speak for maybe
the Midwest but not for California

Are California bees on *life support* ( kidding !)

Example:
15-30 patties and 10-20 gallons ( light estimate?) syrup a **year**?

1.50 a patty or 3.50 a gallon for syrup

Multiply the above cost of feed by some serious numbers of hives ( 10,000) 
and we are looking at serious money .

bob

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