When should you feed and If you need to feed Pollen Substitute - #Beekeeping Basics - The Norfolk Honey Co.
In the previous video I showed how I mix up my pollen substitute and how I feed it to the bees. Today I visited one of the apiaries to see if the bees were out on cleansing flights and wanted to discuss the when and if's of feeding pollen substitute. I picked a lovely sunny day and the bees were very active!
I have used a few different types of Pollen Substitute but never Bee Pro from Mann Lake which is stocked in the UK by Bee -Equipment.co.uk
This video is not sponsored and the product has not been supplied free of charge. I purchased it from their website paying the full amount including postage.
In this video you will hear my honest thoughts of this product in terms of the purchase, delivery and mixing of the product. I will follow this video with another showing how I use it on my colonies and how the bees react to it.
Here is the description from the Mann Lake product page:
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Different protein sources contain different amino acid levels; it's for this reason that a mixture of protein sources should be included in a pollen substitute. A correct amino acid balance is the key to efficient utilization of protein.
Protein quality is determined by its level of essential amino acids. A shortage of any one essential amino acid makes overall protein utilization by the bee less efficient. For example, the bees require 4% Iso-leucine. If the current feed you are using only has 3% Iso-leucine, your bees can only utilize 75% of the available protein.
Can be fed in dry form in a feeder box placed in the yard or made into patties by mixing with high fructose corn syrup or sugar syrup and placed in the hive.
Free of all contaminants. Natural pollens may contain pesticide residue and disease carrying bacteria (foulbrood).
Can be used for building colonies in late winter or early spring, to prepare for pollination and to maintain or increase brood production prior to and after honey flow.
Gives your bees the best nutrients available for the production of larval food.
High protein pollen substitute which supplies the lipids, minerals, and B-complex vitamins honey bees need to produce larval food.
Specially formulated for the commercial beekeeper who is feeding syrup as the source of carbohydrates in the bee's diet.
I purchased this product in the UK from the following website, I do not currently (Jan 2017) receive any commission for promoting this company or product:
www.bee-equipment.co.uk/produc...
Available in the USA from Mann Lake:
www.mannlakeltd.com/bee-pro-r...
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