When selecting the best product for your bees, you have two choices: home-brewed formulation or pre-formulated nutra bee pollen patties. Whichever one you choose, you’re sure to experience the same benefits. Read on to learn more about this beneficial supplement. And don’t forget to ask your beekeepers about the benefits of pollen. After all, it’s the best food for them!
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VitaFeed Nutri
If you want your honeybee colonies to thrive, consider the benefits of VitaFeed Nutri Bee Pollen. The supplement is a rich source of protein and has been proven to enhance colony growth. The patty is available in blocks of five kg. It is easy to apply to the brood frames of honeybee colonies, and can be purchased in 3 kg and 5 kg packs.
These patty-shaped treats can be added to the hive as soon as the nectar starts flowing. Although pollen is not as essential to honeybees as nectar, it is more abundant and readily available during the spring and fall. It is also more nutritious than honey, and many plants produce pollen even when nectar is unavailable. When combined with other ingredients, VitaFeed Nutri Bee Pollen Patties can stimulate the laying of new brood.
Homebrew formulation
You can make your own pollen patties by following the instructions given below. You can feed your bees pollen patties during winter and early spring to encourage growth. If you are in a region where there are Small Hive Beetles, you must avoid using pollen patties. Pollen patties are best placed near the brood nest, where nurse bees can get direct access to protein. You can also squish them down between frames.
Another option is to add vitamin C, which is optional but recommended by beekeepers. Vitamin C is believed to encourage bees to consume pollen substitutes. When preparing a homemade formulation, measure the amount of pollen substitute and add vitamin C. Once the mixture has reached the desired consistency, add it to the open feeder. You can also place it in a bird feeder or open feeder.
Pre-formulated product
Natural Apiary’s Pre-formulated Nutra Bee Pollen Patties contain protein and carbohydrates for the bees. These patties are made in the USA and are ready to feed to your hives right from the packet. Feed at least two patties per hive at least one month before the first pollen flow. Feed the patties in the center of the brood box.
Pre-formulated nutra bee pollen patty is available in several forms, including a bulk sub and an experimental bulk form. The positive control is a natural pollen product blended with sucrose or HFCS. The negative control is the same amount of sugar syrup without protein supplementation. In addition to a high protein content, Bee Pro Patties also contain B-complex vitamins and minerals. These patty products are great for building up a colony in the fall or to increase brood production.
The trial was conducted on nine colonies with 18 each in each treatment group. At the end of the trial, 156 colonies were alive, healthy and queenright. The number of subfeeds tended to range from fourteen pounds of Patties to fifteen half-gallon sugar feeds and one-half pound of Drivert. After the trial, Homebrew and Mega Patties were consumed the least, leaving the colonies with less syrup to use.
Benefits to bees
While beekeepers spend hours and dollars each year managing pollen deficiencies, the benefits of nutra bee pollen patties aren’t yet universally recognized. The main difference between the two types of pollen is that nutra bee patties contain half the amount of protein of the best supplements. Furthermore, the patties are not stored in the beehive, which is why they don’t contribute to the growth of developing larvae.
For the study, the Nutra bee pollen patty was fed to nurse bees, who then reared brood. The pollen provided nourished the nurse bees, and the colony had a strong ability to produce brood. However, it wasn’t the right kind of pollen. The summer bees had died, leaving the winter bees. Although the climates of BC and Ontario are different, the average temperatures from September to November are relatively similar. Therefore, Mattila expects that results would be similar in other northern climates.
