Leslie ask:
How do you know they are being eaten and not just chewed up and chucked out
of the hive?

I guess based on the way the colony develops and because there are no debris
on the floor or ground. You also do not see any bees carrying patties chucks
out of the colonies.

I actually started this year (now) to use the patties as a way to test queen
performance. I reckon that the colonies that lag on the pattie consumption
is because the queen do not lay as the others. The larvae feeding is the
demand the drives pattie/pollen consumption.

I placed a small pattie (100gr) on each colony past wednesday. We will check
next wednesday. We will do a visual evaluation of consumption. Those
colonies that lag on pattie consumption will be the first to receive a new
queen when possible or we will trash them for nucs.


-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
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