We continue to have amazingly low winter loss and it is now May 1.  Our
spreadsheet shows 5.6% loss -- counting from our October wrapping
date to present.
 
How much of amazing success is due to el Nino, I do not know.  Lots,
I suspect, however some neighbours are not doing nearly as well.  The only
things -- other than el Nino -- that were very different last year in our
operation was the use of both pollen supplement and extender patties as
described previously here.
 
We continue to use the pollen substitute patties despite the presence of
pollen from trees and flowers on the belief that the natural pollens may
not be balanced in protein and that the patties may provide continuity of
supply and broaden the protein nutritive spectrum.
 
It seems the bees agree, since a pound or more of patty now disappears
in a day or two.  Of course, we cannot get out to replace the patties that
fast, but we are not worried.  There is natural pollen coming in, and
we reckon that the bees just *have* to be better off with a good
meal now and then from pollen supplementation than they would be depending
on the natural supply -- and its vagaries -- alone.
 
We tend to start feeding the patties weeks later than many local
beekeepers and continue longer, since we do not want to give the bees a
false start early in the spring and feel that they will come up fast
enough when nature is right.  We just try to supplement and re-inforce the
natural buildup.  Our goal is not to raise just more bees, but rather
'super bees' -- bees that have never been nutritionally deprived.
 
Our theory is that such bees will be more robust and in turn raise better
bees throughout the season and have fewer diseases. We are in a poor
pollen area and have never had the crops or wintering that many others in
Alberta take for granted.  As Dave remarked some time back there are areas
where pollen is better, and beekeepers in those areas have enhanced luck.
We are trying to manufacture some luck -- and maybe it is working.
 
Here is what we are using currently.  The formula is not cast in stone,
and we do vary it to get athe texture we want by adding more or less soy
and sugar.  FWIW, we accidentally forgot the pollen in a batch and the
bees ate it just the same.  Maybe it was because they had already acquired
a taste for soy and yeast, or maybe it was because of the hot weather and
brood hatching, or maybe it was because of the high sugar content.  I do
have some concerns about the sugar content we use, since we do have to
make bigger patties and lug a lot of sugar around to get the same amount
of protein into the bees but what the heck, it works.
 
We start with 3-5 gallon pails of 67% sugar syrup in the 5 cu ft
cement mixer (no blades).  Then we add a couple of similar buckets of
brewers yeast from California Spray Dry in Stockton CA.  After that is
mixed fairly well, we add a couple of buckets of soy (honeysoy brand) and
a bag (40 kg) or so of white sugar.  Somewhere in the process, (if we
remember) we add a half pail or a bit less of pollen or pollen dust.   The
ingredients are mixed until they are a nice dough lump that has a firm
texture and which rolls around in the mixer.  This is where adding more
soy comes in -- we adjust the moisture by adding soy, since it is a bit
like a sponge for water compared to the yeast
 
The mixing must take place continuously, since if you stop (say
overnight), the whole thing gets firm and sets a bit as the soy expands.
The idea is to mix and dump the whole mess in one operation over an hour
or two.
 
We dump onto a 1/3 plywood sheet and, after it has firmed up overnight,
cut it into ~ 3" X 3" X 10" 'loaves' and roll it out with a rolling pin on
a soy flour covered board into slabs about 3/4 inch thick and 6 or eight
inches wide. If you don't know how to do this, ask your mom.
 
A pizza roller cutter then cuts it into patties about 5 inches wide which
are tucked into folded pieces of pre-cut wax paper about the size of a
8-1/2 X 11 inch standard letter, along with ample soy flour to prevent
sticking.  These patties are then stacked in standard supers with 3/8"
plywood nailed on for a bottom and are then lugged to the truck.  It takes
a strong man to carry one.
 
The patties then go directly over the brood in each box.  Important:
Early in the spring, the patty will be strictly ignored if the patty is
not within 3 inches of the brood.
 
So what is the composition?  Well, there is approx 40 x 3 = 120# sugar and
20 x 3 = 60# water in the syrup, plus 50# each of soy and yeast and then
12 pounds pollen another 88# sugar.  Thus we see that the patties are
208:60:50:50:12 sugar:water:soy:yeast:pollen.  This means they are 2/3
sugar based on dry weight.  And, at best, 15% protein.   Hmmm.  Comments
anyone?
 
How long will we continue to feed patties?  Well, next week is
the beginning of splitting time for us, and we will likely have to
discontinue patty making before too very long, since there is a limit to
how long we can convince our patty crew to keeep doing what becomes a
dirty boring job after a few weeks, and besides, we will likely need the
help elsewhere.  We will use up what we have made to date, and make more
on rainy days for fall use.
 
Allen