Pollen patties

[Joinur]

Dear Members, I am experimenting with pollen patties this year for the first time and would like some advice. I am using a formula of 3-1-1. Soya Flour,Dried Skimmed Milk, and yeast + light syrup, as yet there is no sign of the bees taking it down. I am not sure if I have made it up too dry? or is the weather not yet warm enough? It has been sugested that I should supply a light syrup feed at the same time. The bees at the moment are taking in snowdrop pollen.
Peter Jack
Peebles

[Apiarist]

Dear Members, I am experimenting with pollen patties this year for the first time and would like some advice. I am using a formula of 3-1-1. Soya Flour,Dried Skimmed Milk, and yeast + light syrup, as yet there is no sign of the bees taking it down. I am not sure if I have made it up too dry? or is the weather not yet warm enough? It has been sugested that I should supply a light syrup feed at the same time. The bees at the moment are taking in snowdrop pollen.
Peter Jack
Peebles

I have used patties in the past successfully. A few things to be aware of:
1 Consistency should be that of stiff putty. If too runny they slop around the hive, and if too stiff, the bees are more reluctant to take them.
2 Worth using a bit of runny honey to wet the mix, makes it more attractive to the bees. Better than syrup I found.
3 Apply the patty to the surface of a sheet of greaseproof paper, in a layer about 5 - 8 mm thick, and then place the paper, patty down, right on the top bars of the frames, directly above the brood nest or cluster.
4 After messing asbout with various recipes and concoctions, I now use just plain soya flour, and honey in the mix. Nothing else. Seems to work pefectly OK. My feeling is that adding things like yeast, dried milk and other things just encourages the mix to go mouldy or ferment etc. before the bees can get to it. It seems to me that there is no need to turn something very straightforward into some sort of 'black art'! Keep it simple!
5 Best of luck!