# Appetites



## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

They'll take sawdust in late winter too.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Crack is a perfect analogy. Concentrations so high that they would never occur in nature....therefore nature isn't really equipped to deal with it.

Deknow


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## sfisher (Sep 22, 2009)

Is sawdust bad for them?


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Wish I knew. Doesn't seem to hurt them. I've heard it may be related to propolis.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Is sawdust bad for them? 

They seem to be gathering it for pollen. It's not nutritious...


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## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

When I worked for a flour blending facility the bees would pick up flour. Everything from corn to rice flour from spills outside, depending on pollen flows it could be a few bees to several hundred. My own hives would collect the scrap flour I would bring home for my steers.


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

This habit is why you provide them with quality pollen substitute in the dry form. Our bees are taking it readily now and will until the first natural pollen come along.
Dave


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## Tom Davidson (Mar 20, 2012)

Dave Burrup said:


> This habit is why you provide them with quality pollen substitute in the dry form. Our bees are taking it readily now and will until the first natural pollen come along.
> Dave


What substitute do you use and why that particular type. How does one determine what is the best substitute, and why would you use a sub if you can buy a regional / local pollen (I've never understood using substitutes when actual pollen is available either harvested or bought)? It makes sense to me to harvest pollen with a trap from your own hives throughout the year, store it in the freezer and feed it back to them when they need it. I have been totally confused on the entire pollen patty thing from the get-go. :scratch:


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

The wintergreen oil is fed properly emulsified into syrup I am sure, because it is much harder on the mites than it is on the bees. I feed it for one brood cycle in the spring to kill mites. It is medicine, you don't give it to them all the time. If you can control mites without chemicals, it is indeed better.


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