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Subject:
From:
Jean-Pierre Chapleau <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 3 Mar 1994 21:11:05 EST
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I found the best and simplest pollen substitute is plain brewer's yeast with 5%
to 20% natural  pollen.  The bees love it and they finish it all up even if
natural pollen is coming in.  It does not drye out in the hive.  Beekeepers in
my area found that the bees often reject substitutes with soy flour.
 
Brewer's yeast for animal feed is ok.  It is very cheap.  Clarence Wenner from
Wenner Honey Farm, where I worked back in the 70's, decided to stick to this
simple recipe after trying many mixes.
 
Substitutes are substitutes though.  They are not as good as pollen.  I have
noticed that they are effective at stimulating brood rearing but I think that
the bees raised on substitutes are not as healthy as bees raised on the natural
stuff.  I recommand not to abuse of pollen substitutes.  I found that  taking
the bees out of the wintering building a little later and feeding substitute
just once or at the very most twice is just as good as taking them out early and
force them to brood up early, putting them in a stress situation when the
weather turns cold.  This first option also represents less work and less costs
for the beekeeper.
 
Since I am new on this forum, let me paste in this information to introduce
myself:
 
I am a bee breeder living in the Appalachian mountains in Quebec.  Quebec is a
mostly french speaking province in Canada.  I have a wife and tree children from
13 to 18 years old.  I was born in 1950.  I graduated in french linguistics at
Laval University in Quebec (strange path to beekeeping!)
 
I operate a 400-450 colonies apiary with around 1300 mating nucs for commercial
queen production during the summer.  We produce between 4000 to 6000 queens a
year.  Our very short producing season extends from May until the beginning of
September.  I got my first hives back in 1975 and realy got into the bee
business in 1977.
 
As a beekeeper I belong to a special professionnal beekeepers club (Club API).
This club is intended to help improve our individual productivity and
profitability through the exchange of technical information.  The club hires a
technicien who has the mandate to assist the members technically speaking and to
help with the circulation of the information among them.
 
I am presently actively involved in our beekeeping community as President of the
Federation des Apiculteurs du Quebec and as Vice-president of the Canadian Honey
Council.  I am also involved in bee journalism.  I spent quite a bit of time in
the past as a bee inspector and as a beekeeping teacher.  In the late 70s I had
a good work experience with Wenner Honey Farm, California bee breeders.
 
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Jean-Pierre Chapleau                     phone: (819)828-3396
1282, rang 8,                                fax:   (819)828-2248
Saint-Adrien de Ham, QUEBEC
Canada, J0A 1C0                          [log in to unmask]
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