POLLEN SUBSTITUTE

[COLVIN]

I ORDERED SOME POLLEN SUB LAST YEAR AND DIDN'T USE IT. I PUT IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND KEPT IT THERE. IS IT STILL GOOD? I PUT SOME IN A BUCKET IN THE TREE SET-UP AND THE BEES WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT. THE DAY TIME TEMPS ARE 70+    DOES THIS STUFF LOSE IT SAVOR? I EVEN PLACED SOME ON THE TOP FRAMES ON PAPER. BEES ARE NOT INTERESTED.  COLVIN

[Michael Bush]

Bees always prefer REAL pollen to substitute and FRESH pollen to old pollen.  Once there is fresh pollen (which I'm sure there is in Georgia as there is here now) they will show little to no interest in pollen substitute.  This year I put my pollen patties on at Christmas.    And some open feeding of powdered substitute in February.

[Davzbeez]

Michael,

Does that apply to new package/nucs set up this year?  I will get my bees in about 2 weeks.  I planned to feed syrup to help with comb building.  Will the bees find their own pollen?  The only flowers open around here are dafodils.  Also, do you recommend conical or round top smoker?  short or tall?  Thanks, Dave.

[amymcg]

Dave,

Bees usually start collecting pollen long before we can actually see anything in bloom.  If you've got daffodils out, then there's also probably a ton of tree pollen and the like.  Got any dandelions yet?

My girls are bringing in various colors of pollen right now in Massachusetts and it still looks like everything is dead here.

[Michael Bush]

My guess is they won't take it even if you give them some.  Fresh, real pollen is always going to be prefered.

[Jack Parr]

Dave,

Bees usually start collecting pollen long before we can actually see anything in bloom.  If you've got daffodils out, then there's also probably a ton of tree pollen and the like.  Got any dandelions yet?

My girls are bringing in various colors of pollen right now in Massachusetts and it still looks like everything is dead here.

A TON        of pollen  Now that's quite a bit of pollen