Scientifically designed to offer bees the highest nutrition, this food features 58% crude protein with no animal by-products and provides a complete amino acid profile and beneficial vitamins, lipids and minerals for increased brood production and healthier, stronger bees.
Pollen can be added directly into a beehive as either dry powder in a pollen feeder, or formed into patties and placed directly inside it.
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Protein Substitute
There are a number of protein pollen substitutes on the market, easily mixed up at home for use when pollen is scarce or weather prohibits bees from foraging. Although they don’t contain actual pollen, these powders still provide bees with essential proteins, vitamins, minerals and lipids they require for peak performance.
Studies on the effects of various artificial diets on honey bee colonies (Barker and Lehner, 1973) have been carried out extensively. Experimental colonies fed these diets performed similarly to control colonies when performance metrics were assessed. Diet combinations used included defatted soybean flour, brewer’s yeast, parched gram, guar meal, skim milk powder egg yolk powder casein pea powder fish meal as a meal source (Carnolian bees).
Wijayati et al. conducted experiments combining six artificial diets during summer dearth periods. The best combination was found to include roasted winged bean seeds, brewer’s yeast, spirulina, sugar glucose and protein hydrolysate powder; consumption rates for this artificial feeding regimen were highest while other colony parameters also improved with this artificial feeding.
Dry Bee Food
High-protein pollen substitute with lipids, minerals and B-complex vitamins; perfect for colony building in late winter or early spring or to increase brood production before and during honey flow.
Pollen substitutes may be beneficial when natural forage is scarce in your beehives’ foraging range, as this will prevent colonies from starving to death. Supplementary feeding becomes especially essential during hot and dry summers when natural sources have diminished in number.
One way of feeding bees is to place powdered products like this on a mat outside or near the entrance; foragers will find and gather this dry feed just like natural pollen would. Another approach would be to prepare a pollen patty that can be placed directly inside the hive – this method works particularly well when weaker colonies need help, particularly early spring when robber bees may attack each other at its entrance.
Pollen Substitute
An innovative high-protein pollen alternative scientifically developed and scientifically verified to produce results statistically equivalent to natural pollen, Mann Lake Bee Pollen Replacement is designed with bee health in mind and includes essential amino acid profile aminos as well as vitamins, lipids and minerals to promote good bee health. Use Mann Lake’s dry pollen feeder (FD-115) or place several pieces of wood over it for extra grooming by bees from this feed source.
Mann Lake’s Ultra Bee Pollen Patty is an effective nutritional supplement for honey bees. Ideal for weaker colonies or when foraging is limited due to cold, wet weather, its wax paper wrapping ensures safe feeding on top bars or placed into pollen feeders and provides a steady source of proteins and carbohydrates essential to brood production.
Patties
A patty is an edible disc made of ground or chopped ingredients combined together, often including meat, legumes, vegetables or seafood. Pattie are usually cooked before being presented for consumption in any number of ways.
Most burgers contain beef, but vegetarians can enjoy a similar experience by ordering one made with bison or turkey meat instead. You can even customize it further with extra toppings like bacon, avocado or caramelized onions to make it truly gourmet.
Beef used for patties typically comprises 80/20 lean beef, which contains more protein and less fat compared to other ground meats. After being put through a meat grinder or other type of food processor for fine grinding purposes, if sold for use as patties it will then be fed into a machine which creates patties according to specific specifications such as thickness, size and weight specifications.
