Increased brood production means healthier and stronger bees!
High protein pollen substitute can be formed into patties and fed directly into the hive.
At the January time point, colonies with high-protein supplements (Ultra Bee and MegaBee) showed less strength loss compared to other treatment groups.
Contents
Pollen Substitute
Ultra Bee high-protein pollen replacement has been designed to mimic the composition of honey bee pollen and provide a complete amino acid profile, as well as beneficial vitamins, lipids and minerals that support bee health and enhance brood production.
While protein content is certainly crucial, overall nutritional value may be more significant. As shown by Figure 19, Natural patties were found to have the lowest protein content but still outshone other products on performance measures.
Maintain a constant supply of pollen patties even as temperatures heat up; failing to do so wastes valuable resources and may actually reduce colony strength by encouraging poor foraging practices and opening the way for EFB spores into hives lacking adequate natural forage sources. If supplementation must end gradually, or stop altogether altogether ideally continue feeding pollen patties until bees begin bringing enough forage into their hive to meet daily maintenance requirements.
Forager Food
Foraging can create an intimate connection to nature and empower those participating to become active participants in their food system. Our distant ancestors relied on foraging as a critical survival strategy.
Many foragers focus on specific food items like mushrooms, while others search for all edible wild plants available in their region. Keepers of foraging journals help foragers gain an understanding of what’s around and when harvesting is ideal.
During wintertime foragers mix pollen granules with saliva and enzymes from glands in their mouths before pushing this sticky mixture onto stiff hairs on their hind legs – known as pollen baskets. At home in their hive, forager bees transfer this load of pollen to wax honeycomb cells where it is stored until needed to raise baby bees come springtime. When pollen availability in their foraging radius drops significantly, foragers may supplement with Mann Lake pollen patties during periods when pollen availability drops significantly.
Bee Bread
Bee pollen stored for long periods in a hive can undergo lactic acid fermentation, making it more easily assimilated by humans as the acid breaks down its outer structure and makes the pollen grain digestible.
Bee bread is packed with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that have been scientifically shown to aid recovery from prolonged exercise. A study conducted by Chen et al has revealed that bee bread supplements can speed recovery during prolonged exercise sessions by aiding recovery during two trials: one supplemented with bee bread; the other without. These trials involved twelve athletes competing on treadmill tests for 20 minutes at different intensities with bee bread supplementation significantly increasing distance traveled during this test by more than 18% compared with without supplementation.
Bee bread offers many attractive properties, one being its antimicrobial qualities. A hydromethanolic extract from Moroccan multifloral bee bread (Anethum graveolens, Quercus ilex and Eucalyptus) was found to inhibit six bacterial strains including Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Salmonella typhimurium as well as high antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus fumigatus niger and Penicillium verrucosum var Cyclopidum.
Supplement
Ultra Bee high protein pollen substitute provides honey bees with all of the essential lipids, minerals, and B-complex vitamins needed to produce larval food for their colonies. Plus it’s pesticide residue- and disease-carrying bacteria-free; perfect for increasing brood production during late winter and early spring or maintaining colonies prior to and post honey flow!
Product can either be fed dry or as a patty to the beehive. When providing dry feed, place it away from the entrance in an area protected from wind; foragers will come and collect it before returning it to be mixed with honey into bee bread – this method being particularly beneficial during cold weather when foraging may not be possible.
Patty feedings are ideal for when foraging is impractical or additional nutrition is needed for your hive. Simply place 1-3 patties of ultra bee dry on top bars of the hive; bees will find their source of protein easily digestible by this means while beekeepers don’t have to deal with powdery feeds!
