Ultra bee pollen substitute is a supplement feed designed to assist honeybees during winter and early spring when natural sources of pollen become scarce. It can be fed dry or made into patties.
Many beekeepers prefer not to stimulate brood growth prior to spring, as colonies with too much brood in spring are more likely to swarm.
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Priddy Acres Sweet B Fondant
Priddy Acres Sweet B Fondant is an easy and convenient sugar-based pollen substitute that comes packaged in 10 pound packages, ready for use by beekeepers. Made of cane sugar (no high fructose corn syrup), this pollen substitute features peppermint and lemongrass essential oils to promote beehive health – making this winter feeding product perfect!
If your bees are producing enough pollen and brood-rearing at an acceptable level, no additional feedings should be necessary in the fall. But if pollen production or brood quality declines significantly, protein-rich fondant could provide much-needed supplements.
Dry fondant can be sprinkled onto the top bars of your hive or placed inside as pollen patties, while homemade fondant is typically made by mixing sugar and water using a hive feeder. While homemade fondant may be cost-efficient and time-efficient to prepare, for ease and efficiency we prefer products such as Priddy Acres Sweet B fondant instead.
Dry Pollen Substitute
Beekeepers can stimulate brood-rearing during pollen dearths by feeding pollen substitutes; however, this increases the amount of feed necessary and must be carefully managed as overfeeding may starve overwintering bees and cause their colonies to collapse.
Studies that compare the impact of various pollen substitute recipes have yielded mixed results. Out of 22 studies assessing them, five showed an increase in brood production while three had no impact on brood development and 12 studies were inconclusive (Table 1).
An optimal diet for honey bee health is key, as its composition impacts their gut microbiome. Ricigliano and Simone-Finstrom found that bees fed spirulina-rich diet had greater populations of Lactobacillus Firm 5 than those fed conventional pollen substitute diet or negative control diet.
Pollen substitutes have been demonstrated to increase protein availability and therefore promote hypopharyngeal gland development, which facilitates transporting digested nutrients throughout an insect body for use or storage (Cremonez et al. 1995).
Patties
When natural pollen supplies have run dry or the weather prevents bees from foraging, using a pollen substitute is often the answer to stimulating brood production. A dry mix such as Ultra Bee FD 200 or Mann Lake FP-200 are both excellent options that contain essential lipids, minerals and B-Complex vitamins needed by honey bees to raise brood successfully.
Powder is often placed in a feeder box outside the hive for bees to collect, which allows beekeepers to closely monitor intake and reduce risks from mixing bees from different colonies in one feeder box.
Patties may also be placed directly in the hive for easier nurse bee access; this method may be especially helpful for weaker colonies or when beekeepers are looking to reduce disturbance. Our trial with Homebrew patties revealed increased consumption as we approached winter solstice; more colonies consumed them than Ultra or Drivert sugar variants; however there were still significant colony-to-colony variances in their consumption rate.
Dry Feeding
Mann Lake FD200, a commercial product used in beekeeping, serves to supply honeybees with carbohydrates and proteins when their natural sources run low, along with essential lipids, minerals and B-Complex vitamins they need for feeding their brood. It can either be fed directly into hives or made into pollen patties for easy feeding.
Placing dry pollen substitute in a feeder allows bees to collect it as they forage outside their hive, making collection much simpler than mixing patties; however, bees from multiple colonies may come together and increase risk of disease transmission.
Pollen substitutes delivered as patties provide beekeepers with greater control of which colonies receive what, as well as ensure high-quality proteins are being consumed by bees. Our research, however, indicates that even the highest-grade supplements cannot match natural pollen’s performance for brood production – possibly suggesting there remains some element (Factor X) missing from artificial diets.
