# How to make a pollen patty



## Chef Isaac

I feel wierd asking this question since I am a chef!









Anyone have a pollen patty recipe?


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## Antero

Here's the recipe I use:

3 parts Soy Bean flour
2 parts Brewers Yeast
Mix 2 parts sugar to 1 part water to make a syrup. 
Mix dry ingredients with syrup mixture until it is a doughy consistancy. Shape into patties between 2 sheets of wax paper , or make a loaf, chill it and slice it, placing slices between wax sheets. Approx. 500grms per patty.

Terry


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## Michael Bush

I don't. I just put pollen or pollen mixed with substitute in an empty nuc dry. That they tear up. When I gave them patties they always wasted most are all of it. If they aren't interested in the dry open pollen, then there isn't a dearth of pollen.


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## Chef Isaac

where can you get dryed pollen from?


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## Michael Bush

Many suppliers sell pollen. Draper, Betterbee, Brushy Mt. It's expensive, but they usually have a cheaper, less clean version that works fine for feeding bees.

If you get a pollen trap you can save some for next year.

Keep pollen in the freezer. It needs to be fresh.

If I have to buy pollen, I usually buy some pollen substitute or soy flour and mix it half and half. Straight substitute just isn't nutritious enough, but straight pollen can get very expensive.

In studites, brood raised on just substitute has been shown to be inferior, not living as long. Kind of a waste of all the work for the bees to get a worker that doesn't live very long.


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## Jim Fischer

I've never had good results with the pollen
substitutes, and I've tried them all.

Real pollen, even dried-out pollen you buy
from the major vendors "gets the bees going"
much better.

Buy a pollen trap, or buy pollen from
someone who traps pollen. You'll be much
happier.

For early feeding, like one would do this
month in Virginia, I just mix it with enough
2:1 sugar syrup or HFCS to create a mix that
can hold a shape.

I don't bother with the wax paper. I put
a blob into a zip-lock bag, and before sealing,
I squish a group of the patties with a half-sheet
baking tray. Then I stack 'em the the freezer,
where they will keep for months.

I do my mixing in a Electrolux Assistant DLX
mixer, a real beast of a machine that can handle
22 cups of dry mixture plus liquid at a go. 
While this is potential grounds for divorce in
most states, my wife does not mind the mixing of
"food for the bees", as it does not make a mess.


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## Antero

Isaac
If you use pollen traps,collect after 3 days max 
Prevents mould
Prevents larvae from starving
Freeze immediately
When frozen,sort out debris
1 tsp/day keeps doctor away

Terry


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## Chef Isaac

Anyone know of anywhere to buy cheap pollen? It is expensive!


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## Dick Allen

>...collect after 3 days max 
...Prevents larvae from starving...

What am I missing here? How does collecting pollen prevent starvation?


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## Antero

Sorry, My wording wasnt the best. I mean to say that if you collect pollen for more than 3 days, there is a chance that there won't be enough pollen left to feed the larvae. Maybe I should also clarify, that "Prevents Mould" means, if left for more than 3 days the chances are that the collected pollen will turn mouldy.

Terry


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## Lew Best

Terry

Ok another question from a novice; saying I move the trap from one hive to another after 3 days, how long before I can safely move it back to the original hive? I'm hoping to end up with 4 hives this year; if I'm lucky in a year or 2 maybe I can top out at 8.

Lew


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## Antero

Lew, 

For each brood box, you should have 2 to 3 frames of pollen. So check your hives for pollen before you put the trap back.

Terry


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## Lew Best

Thanks Terry


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## Beemaninsa

To make patties, I use a 5 gal bucket with a paint mixer and a drill. Mix honey and water or 1/1 syrup with subsitute pollen till you get soft peanut butter. Spread peanut butter on top bars. Freeze leftovers. I have had better success and its less work with dry feed as described by MB. I enjoy watching the goast bees flying around (bee covered in subsitute pollen). Even though you are North of me, I bet dry feed would work best for you. Once you have a decent natural pollen source, the bees are reluctant take subsitute. Agarita pollen starts for me around 2nd or 3rd week of February.


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## ScadsOBees

Feeding purchased pollen produced by an unknown source... 

I assume that isn't as dangerous as feeding honey from an unknown source which is recommended against?


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## Jim Fischer

> Feeding purchased pollen produced by an unknown 
> source...
> I assume that isn't as dangerous as feeding honey 
> from an unknown source which is recommended 
> against?

Not really... think about it - the bee gathers
pollen, and the pollen is knocked off the bee
before it gets back into the hive. Hard to
imagine this being a way to spread AFB, or any
other bee disease.


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