We had a warm day 2 days ago. Warm enough for the girls to get out and fly some. I figured it would be perfect to make them some pollen substitute to ensure good brood numbers coming into the spring.
As with everything in beekeeping, I tried to save some money and bought the powdered versions of 2 different substitutes. You can sprinkle it on the frames, or make patties with it. I also got lucky to get some spent brewers yeast. I decided on 4 cups of brewers yeast, 2 cups of the tuscan bee diet and 1 cup of the generic substitute from brushy mountain. I added 2 bottles of corn syrup, a little water, some honey B healthy and some apple cider vinegar.
I used my hands to mix it. You want to talk about a mess.... imagine 7 cups of peanut butter. That is what it looked like and felt like. I couldn't get it off my hands or anything else it touched.
After I got them on the wax sheets and rolled out, I took scissors and cut them into useable strips. I froze what I didn't use and put 2 strips on each hive right above the cluster. 4 or 5 of the hives immediately started eating it. All of the hives were mean. It is cold, the middle of winter and they don't like to be disturbed.
I just hope they don't dry out and become cement bricks....
Sorry to hear you still have that bug. try heating up some of your Mead. One way or another it may help. Do you cull your own spent yeast from brewing?
ReplyDeletePlease let us know how well the patties work out. I need to either buy a box or make my own as well.
I recommend that you buy pre made. I have wasted a TON of good powder trying to find the right consistency that keeps it wet enough for them to eat and not turn into a brick... When I run out of the powder, I will be going back to buying pre-made. The megabee patties are great. They are definitely as advertised.
ReplyDeleteThe yeast I have is from a large brewery that had a load going to a cow farm and I had an insider (another beekeeper) buy some. The bees seem to love it.