In article <[log in to unmask]>, Kathy Hough
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>Rory,
>I'd heard of other beekeepers noticing bees foraging their bird feeders
>but hadn't noticed anything myself until we started keeping chickens.
>We feed a ground corn mash and have a range feeder outside the coop that
>the bees foraged from last year (until the chickens began to forage on
>the bees.. ).  We moved the chicken food,  gave the bees their own
>source of chicken mash (and added some higher protein soy flour to it)
>closer to the hives, and all the girls were happy.
>Kathy
>
>
Just a little to add to this.
 
I read somewhere about this behaviour several years ago, bees were
taking away all sorts of dusts, sawdust, flour, corn meal, even coal
dust, all as if they were pollen. I have even heard of, though never
witnessed, window putty being taken, possibly as a substitute propolis.
 
I did a small experiment just out of curiosity in our small home apiary
one spring several years ago, by dropping a little soya flour into some
clumps of crocuses. The bees took it home with tremendous enthusiasm, so
next day, instead of placing it in the flowers 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.
 
However, I can't say whether it made any difference at all, as the
apiary was just like all the others at first inspection, no extra brood
or anything.
 
One farm we have bees on has a small oats bruising mill for their cattle
feed. It makes a lot of dust which attracts the bees in through a bird
screened window and I have had calls from the farmer, who is terrified
of bees, in case there was something wrong. No benefit noticed there
either.
 
An interesting little behaviour pattern.
 
 
Murray
 
--
Murray McGregor