Is that pollen from your own hives, GB? If so, was it easy to collect?Originally Posted by greengumbo
Kitta
Is that pollen from your own hives, GB? If so, was it easy to collect?
Kitta
Not this bag Kitta, was uk organic treated pollen bought online for a work expt but not cheap ! Bought a trap this year in thornes winter sale.
Patties should be on now along with a pint of one pound to the pint of syrup. No syrup take, no pattie take is a very good indicator of a weak colony. when you "slap and slurp" in and out in a minute, in a weeks time it is revealing.
PH
What weight is a "standard" patty that you slap on ? Mine are big pancake things, appropriately, and weight about 500g each.
That'd be a standard 500g patty you'll be using greengumbo. There are a range of other standards.
As you can tell, I have nothing useful to contribute to this thread … other than this. Last year I gave many of my colonies a tablespoon or two of pollen, simply added onto an index card lying on the top bars and positioned close to the bees. Some took it, others did not. Most nibbled the index card. Those that did take it weren't appreciably advanced later in the spring. I saw no benefit and probably won't repeat the experiment. Of course, this might be due to differences in the amount of pollen stored and overwintered, but I also suspect that different colonies accept pollen more or less. I've seen pretty much the same thing with commercial pollen/fondant mixes (Naktapoll?) when some appreciate it and other don't. The pollen was Australian acacia (I think).
Yes they are the euro-standard best in show 500g patty indeed
I think I copied your pollen sprinkling last year and noted similar results.....ie a lack of any difference. This year I have the pollen and it needs used so will slap it on regardless.
Sunny and 9'C outside. Lovely stuff.
Slap? Slap?! What *are* you guys doing? I hope that you really mean ... carefully laying down on the top bars after ushering the workers out of the way.
Then standing back and thinking: 'Well, that's me feeling better now that I'm *doing something* but I'm damn sure the bees will be just the same when the season gets underway.'
NBU have a useful PDF for all you spring fiddlers.
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downl...ent.cfm?id=743
Last edited by gavin; 17-02-2015 at 02:12 PM.
My spring fiddling was too late for one of my colonies … just been out to put fondant on a few light colonies and discovered one - the first this year - that didn't make it. Classic isolation starvation after a prolonged cold spell here … a small patch of sealed brood and the nearest stores (of which there were plenty in the colony) about 15cm away. My notes from the end of last season included a comment about the strength of colony (not enough) going into the winter. This was the only one of the weak ones I decided not to unite. D'oh.
Is heard of a couple of local colonies not surviving and I knew 1 of them was stronger than 2 of mine going into winter. Even tho I'm not supposed to yet (half way through desensitisation) I went out to check at the weekend and I'm glad to say they're were all alive & still had fondant. Small risk for peace of mind.
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