The new web interface to BEE-L makes amazing things possible. I was wanting to post about the fact that we are realizing a dream from some time back and are feeding pollen patties right now. We made some extra in the spring when we were set up to do so and had time and are able to now put them on when we visit to remove the last supers. I could have started a new thread, but instead, I went to http://listserv.albany.edu/archives/bee-l.html and searched for 'supplement'. That brought up 50 articles including the current subject and I was able to pick up where I left off in 1997. I am writing this using the web posting interface. Only problem: how do I include a huge long obnoxious signature with ASCII graphics? <G> (Note: see PS at end for another problem) Moreover, since I have joined the IBRA, I think I will now request a literature search on the subject of this thread. I can now get the reprints by email, including the one Trevor mentioned, the one that I found so hard to lay my hands on, so maybe we will have more to chew on soon. FWIW, The online bee discussion searches can be reached from the top, of my home page at http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/ , as can the IBRA search form. Here's the post: On Wed, 23 Apr 1997 07:44:47 -0600, Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >When can I quit giving them patties? Do I just put them on til the bees >> >refuse to eat them (seems wasteful)? Or will they eat it from time to >> >time right thru the spring if I leave it on? We find that good colonies will eat a pound in a week anytime of year if they have a little pollen and lots of sugar. Without pollen in the mix, consumption is about 33% reduced. >It seems that the weak hives are much less inclined to eat it. I noticed >many hives this year with eggs but no brood right up to two weeks ago. >Pollen shortage? They did not seem to be eating the supplement either. We have found the patties a great non-intrusive way to spot poor hives and the the strong hives that have recently gone queenless. They don't eat patties nearly as well. >> Once natural pollen is available none of the hives will touch the patties, even if there is poor flying weather. Subsequent experience has proven that the patty formula determines consumption rate. Patties without much pollen and/or sugar are not as enthusiastically eaten -- or even refused -- when there is any alternative. >What about the fall? We have *some* pollen into October, even after >frosts. I had hoped to try supplement in September. This was my dream, but we never had time to do it. Now we are feeding and the bees make a 1 pound patty disappear in less than a week. Bad hives stick out like a sore thumb because the patties are not eaten. That is our experience after limited trials, anyways. More later. We hope to get an idea whether the supplementation improves wintering, but if we have enough patties, we will likely feed all 3,000 hives, so there goes the controlled experiment. Knowing us, we are bound to miss some hives, and that way maybe we will have controls and we can compare. Or maybe will just give half the outfit 2 patties. Any one else trying this? allen PS: Another problem: the first time I tried to use this web interface for posting, I had to get a LISTSERV password to be able to post after writing my epistle. After I did that, the post did not seem to get sent. Fortunately I had copied my work to the clipboard (Ctrl+a, then Ctrl+c) as a precaution and pasted it (Ctrl+v) into my word processor. Therefore I did not had re-type the whole thing again for this attmept. My advice: if you are going to use the web interface to post, get your password before going through all the work.