Early Spring Pollen Substitute Feeding For Bees
From:
"CIBA MEMBERS" <donotreply@PROTECTED>
Date:
February 8th 2024
Bees are becoming active. It’s time to consider making dry substitute pollen available for your honeybees.
Temperatures permitting, even if only for an hour or to, honeybees have begun foraging for pollen. (You may have seen them around bird feeders, livestock feeders and similar settings). Also, there is some early natural pollen available, but not much. - Pollen influx is not only a critical nutrient resource for your bees, but also an important stimulator of egg-laying and brood development.
What type of pollen substitute? - Opinions vary among beekeepers. Basically, at this point and pollen substitute from a reputable dealer is fine - certainly better than none.
Below are a couple of YouTube resources, suggestions for types of pollen feeders. - You may need to skip over some advertising.
########
Making & Using Dry Pollen Sub Feeders / Pollen Substitute Feeder For Bees - YouTube
From Ohio. Goes through several types of homemade pollen feeders. Some of these are pretty straightforward.
Pollen feeders from plastic bottles
A friend makes something like this. Though his are more protected from rain. - I’ll keep looking for a similar link.
You can be creative. Main considerations:
- Be sure feeder is secure. - Wind can be an issue
- Keep pollen-substitute DRY. - Protect From Rain
- Protect from mice, etc. (Try using hardware cloth over access. 3/8” is a good size)
- This mailing list is a public mailing list - anyone may join or leave, at any time.
-
This mailing list is announce-only.
This is the All Members email list for the Central Indiana Beekeepers Association.
Privacy Policy:
.