In article <[log in to unmask]>, Andy Nachbaur
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>At 12:36 PM 1/5/98 -0600, Allen Dick wrote:
>
>
>>> ... we just stuck half a pound or so of the stuff in upturned hive
>>> lids, although any kind of shallow box would do. They cleared up the lot
>>> in a few hours. We then did the same each morning for the next couple of
>>> weeks if the weather was fine, and it was fascinating to see these dust
>>> covered bees with their pollen baskets full to overload scuttling back
>>> and forward to the hives. As it was the same flour we used in our pollen
>>> substitute patties I reckoned it would probably do them good.
>
>Or they wasted a lot of time and wore themselves out working?  I have yet to
>rear a frame of brood from soyflower of any type ALONE, here in central
>California, but would be interested if others have without benefit of pollen or
>other proteins. If it can be done you should be able to do it with several
>pounds of bees and a queen without benefit of flight. I tried and could do very
>well with pollen, and yeasts alone, but nothing with soyflower. I have tried
>dozens of different types of proteins all that bees would at least move around
>including dried blood, and some high priced food additives. Only the yeasts had
>any value as far a brood rearing in confinement without benefit of natural
>pollen or flight.
 
 
 
I know what you mean about possibly wearing themselves out and the same
thought crossed my mind at the time. They were, however, only going some
50 to 100 feet from the hives for this stuff. But much in line with your
experience, and as mentioned later in my first posting on this, we could
see no evidence that it did them any good at all, and it was only the
small home apiary we did it at, largely out of curiosity.
 
Our patties themselves contained soya flour, skimmed milk powder,
brewers yeast, and sugar syrup or thinned honey, which as far as I can
see is a pretty standard combination. They were a lot of work to make up
and apply and we no longer do it. Our spring build up does not seem to
be any slower for dropping the practice. Before we abandoned the patties
we did some trials by only giving it to half the hives in the site, and
could see very little difference, certainly not enough to justify the
time and effort, between the hives with and without patties.
However, agricultural patterns had changed, with the advent of rape
(canola) in our area in the early 1980's bringing liberal amounts of
pollen early in the year, so perhaps the need for patties had receded.
Willows are also more plentiful today than in years gone by which may be
even more significant than the rape as it brings in abundant pollen on
good days from March onwards.
 
Murray
--
Murray McGregor