>On a few hives I have placed an inverted 2 gallon pail over a 2" augured
hole.  It seems to take even a strong hive up to 2 weeks to consume the 2
gallons of syrup.

Something's wrong then--it should not take a strong hive nearly that long,
and unless you're adding a preservative, that syrup can ferment or get
harmful fungal growth.

>They are consuming a pound every 7-10 days and storing large quantities in
> the frames in the brood nest.


Could I ask you, Ed, to confirm that the bees are actually storing that
pollen sub in the frames?  I have not found it to be so.  If necessary,
please contact me off list and I will confirm by microscopy.

>I noticed the last bag of brewers yeast was a by-product of corn from the
distillation of grain alcohol.

I've tried various yeasts, and found that bees have strong taste
preferences.  I also found in my recent trial that yeast-based patties were
far less attractive than some other formulations.

>  I do not want to use soy or gmo corn

Proper expeller-processed and finely ground soy flour (low raffinose)
supports colony growth well.  There is no evidence that I know of that
yeast grown on GM corn (or any GM corn products) are harmful to bees.

>Can I get enough protein to the bees using a combination of these grains
(oats, rye, barley, etc) I grind into flour?

Particle size is extremely important, or bees will not consume, or are
unable to digest.  And it's not just about the protein content.  In my
recent trial, patties of natural pollen containing half the protein of the
best subs stimulated equivalent growth in the colonies.

--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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