I'm in central Texas and I drove to your fine state a couple weeks ago. I was amazed at how much Goldenrod you guys had. This year we're in a super drought, nothing is blooming now, but even in a good year we only get a little goldenrod. I was amazed at seeing fields and fields of solid goldenrod. Along the roadside, solid goldenrod. It was everywhere. You mention 'this is not a good year for goldenrod.' Wow! I can only imagine how a strong year could be. Now I have a better idea of how great Georgia is for beekeeping!
We’re always in a super drought. I sure wish I’d have moved to Oklahoma in 1986 instead of buying my farm I have now. I’m born Texan and been here all my life. We sure got everyone beat on grasshoppers. I spray almost daily for them during summer in this sandy soil. I raise bees and pecans and it’s difficult controlling them without also killing my bees.
Your absolutely right about the goldenrod season. It just opened up last week here at my place yet 30 miles away it has been open for over a month, I have bees in 2 separate locations here in southeast VA and it's amazing the difference in production and growth at each yard. Unfortunately I am having to rebuild due to a bear raid last week.
I just talked to my husband after watching this video and convinced him we MUST start feeding pollen NOW. He says we have it in the storage room. Lets get it out.
SO I have 1 beehive for almost 4 months it consists of 2 deeps. I added a top feeder to it today with super thick sugar-water with honey be healthy, I thought that was all they need. After watching your video I order 10 lbs of pollen paddy I hope that will be enough to last this winter. Also, I'm hoping to add it to the other side of the top feeder This way they have sugar-water on one side and the pollen paddy on the other side as the winter here in Pa are long and cold. So I going to be wrapping insulation around the beehive soon.
Hi, I put candy boards on my hives to make sure my bees have a backup source of carbohydrates in the winter. Does ir make sense to put some pollen, maybe some patties,min the bottom of the candy boards? If no one has any experience that indicates otherwise I will give it a shot and see. Thanks for your videos. I takes time and effort to do, and I surely appreciate it! - Stu
Great Video Can I put half Ultra Bee and half sugar in the rapid feeders once it gets too cold for the bees to go out and get pollen from my PVC pollen feeders?
Hi we are in Southeast Georgia and getting our VERY First bee pack next week. Do we need to feed sugar water and protein patties. If it's feed and left all year will patties ferment?
We have a problem......We live in mid state Idaho where winter lasts 6 months or more and temps reach -20F or colder. Three of our four hives have no honey at all. One was alive 2 days ago, today all the bees have died. The other two without honey seem healthy, but have nothing to eat. The last hive has honey enough for themselves....maybe. We took no honey and there isn't enough in the best one to add to the hives without. We have been feeding a LOT of sugar syrup in an outside feeder, but it hasn't helped. Today, I added loose sugar on paper on top of the frames of the two hives without honey, but they don't seem too interested in it. We bought some pollen replacer called "Bee-Pro" today in town and I mixed in some of it with sugar to make sugar/pollen patties......they are drying now and I'll put them into all three hives tomorrow. Are the two without honey doomed, or is there anything we can do? Can bees winter over with nothing but sugar/pollen patties? I ain't lookin' good..... OH, it snowed here 4 inches September 28th, but most has melted now. Daytime temps have been in the 40's-50's. I want to wrap up the hives tomorrow.
First, I would put a empty deep box on top of the hive as a feeder box. Put your new feeder inside with some very heavy syrup. I use the kitchen stove and heat the water to about 150 -160 - use 6 cups of water and stir in 14 cups of sugar heat and stir until dissolved. Do not boil. You can put in some cream of tarter (2 tsp ) and lemon juice if you want. It turns the sucrose into fructose and glucose like the bees do. You can buy on line a 1 gal chick feeder (it's red and white) with a flat top that is the same height as a frame and put straw or 8-10 wood pieces in the trough to keep the bees from drowning. One gallon of heavy syrup will fill one frame - about 10-11 lbs. Your bees will need at least 6-7 frames of honey so you will need a late winter. The chick feeder will feed your bees faster then any can or jar with nail holes by far. My small hive will take a gallon a day if its warm outside. You should throw some pollen paddies on also unless they have a lot of pollen. Good luck!
@@russellkoopman3004 Thank you Russell. This is what we have been doing: ua-cam.com/video/upLRZQ7Wb_A/v-deo.html Part of the problem I think is that the neighbor has a dozen hives or so also about 400 yards away. I haven't noticed a lot of robbing, but they could be. His bees are getting most of the syrup. I put entrance reducers on today, and I'm making sugar patties with pollen. We had trouble last year feeding inside the feeders with robbing, so we put these about 75 feet away. Tomorrow, I'll try moving them inside the feeder as you suggest. I'm worried about robbing, but at this point maybe it doesn't matter. Can bees survive a long, cold winter on sugar/pollen patties?
@@MuskratOutdoors It happens every year to someone someplace when they run out of natural resources a candy board with some pollen sub will save them 50% of time. The best coarse is honey in jar feeder on top of hive like Russell described above. You can use 4 to 1 sugar syrup but put pollen sub in it. Hope it helps.
Hey David--question for you. Why would we not feed bees regular ground organic pollen without all the substitutes? Is there a reason why I would not want to do the and use the substitute instead? I'm personally not a fan of feeding bees essential oils. But what are your thoughts. Thanks.
Will the bees draw comb on those empty frames this time if year? I'm in my first season, and after all my rookie mistakes I only have about 18 fully drawn (medium!) frames to try to over-winter in.. Also, will open feeding pollen promote robbing behavior? Can the dry pollen be used inside the hive?
Christopher Davis Just dump some Ultrabee in a large bowl, slowly add 2:1 syrup while stirring. Keep mixing til it has a thick, peanut butter-like consistency. Plop a few ounces onto a 6-8 inch square of parchment paper, cover with the same, flatten it out to about 1/4” (thicker is OK if using a feeder rim. Start with small patties; make larger ones if bees are fully consuming before patty dries out and gets hard. They’ll take more when raising a lot of brood; in the fall, less. Dave’s bees will open feed on pollen, mine will not. At all. Never. Probably because I’m in an urban residential area; there’s always a trickle, at least, of pollen available here, thats probably the reason. Feeding protein throughout as much of the year as possible, to the degree they’ll take it, has been the most important thing I’ve done to have thriving, healthy colonies. Real pollen is best, but having substitute available as well seems to make a huge difference. (Note: small hive beetles are basically non-existent where I am, so that makes my use of patties more liberal than Dave’s).
@@christopherdavis9012 just search for pollen patties here on UA-cam and you get several hits. And in Europe we don't start to use them before it gets closer to spring because the queen start to lay eggs like crazy and the risk of overcrowded hive's to early is big.
I'm in central Texas and I drove to your fine state a couple weeks ago. I was amazed at how much Goldenrod you guys had. This year we're in a super drought, nothing is blooming now, but even in a good year we only get a little goldenrod. I was amazed at seeing fields and fields of solid goldenrod. Along the roadside, solid goldenrod. It was everywhere. You mention 'this is not a good year for goldenrod.' Wow! I can only imagine how a strong year could be.
Now I have a better idea of how great Georgia is for beekeeping!
We’re always in a super drought. I sure wish I’d have moved to Oklahoma in 1986 instead of buying my farm I have now. I’m born Texan and been here all my life. We sure got everyone beat on grasshoppers. I spray almost daily for them during summer in this sandy soil. I raise bees and pecans and it’s difficult controlling them without also killing my bees.
Your absolutely right about the goldenrod season. It just opened up last week here at my place yet 30 miles away it has been open for over a month, I have bees in 2 separate locations here in southeast VA and it's amazing the difference in production and growth at each yard. Unfortunately I am having to rebuild due to a bear raid last week.
Oh no......bears and skunks are not good! Bears of course are much worse!
I just talked to my husband after watching this video and convinced him we MUST start feeding pollen NOW. He says we have it in the storage room. Lets get it out.
Thank you for all the videos!!! Learning a lot from them.
Thanks from Texas
My favorite part of every video is at the end, when he says, "Barnyard Bees."
Nice vidoes glad u take the time to help us out.
Thank you. New to the channel. 1st time Bee keeper.
Thanks Dave. You are my covid mentor.
I bought some. Will see if the girls need it!
Thanks David, Good stuff!
SO I have 1 beehive for almost 4 months it consists of 2 deeps. I added a top feeder to it today with super thick sugar-water with honey be healthy, I thought that was all they need. After watching your video I order 10 lbs of pollen paddy I hope that will be enough to last this winter. Also, I'm hoping to add it to the other side of the top feeder This way they have sugar-water on one side and the pollen paddy on the other side as the winter here in Pa are long and cold. So I going to be wrapping insulation around the beehive soon.
Thank you Dave.i was wondering about protein and how much was needed.
Hi, I put candy boards on my hives to make sure my bees have a backup source of carbohydrates in the winter. Does ir make sense to put some pollen, maybe some patties,min the bottom of the candy boards? If no one has any experience that indicates otherwise I will give it a shot and see.
Thanks for your videos. I takes time and effort to do, and I surely appreciate it! - Stu
Hey Dave, do u know how much u are going to put your deep booard boxes and honey suppers on sale I'm saving some money to buy some.
Why would the bees not have enough pollen from the first frost?
Wowie I had never thought Bee's 🐝 has to have Pollen with Honey 🍯 to Survive! 👍🏻
Hello guy we had 6 inches of snow already it did not stay but was -8ish a couple of nights
We had 4 inches here in Idaho Sept.28th, but most has melted again now. Where are you at?
@@MuskratOutdoors Canada (Alberta)
What do you do in the winter. Big blue or patties??
Great video.
Great Video
Can I put half Ultra Bee and half sugar in the rapid feeders once it gets too cold for the bees to go out and get pollen from my PVC pollen feeders?
@@davidhaught84 Ok. Thks.What about just Ultra Bee in the rapid feeder?
Is there a you tube of how to make Ultra Bee Patties?
Where can you find a feeder like that?
Hi we are in Southeast Georgia and getting our VERY First bee pack next week. Do we need to feed sugar water and protein patties. If it's feed and left all year will patties ferment?
Oh, Thank you! I apologise for not saying thank you ☺️
How far from the hive do you place the pollen feeder? I am a backyard beginner.
We have a problem......We live in mid state Idaho where winter lasts 6 months or more and temps reach -20F or colder. Three of our four hives have no honey at all. One was alive 2 days ago, today all the bees have died. The other two without honey seem healthy, but have nothing to eat. The last hive has honey enough for themselves....maybe. We took no honey and there isn't enough in the best one to add to the hives without. We have been feeding a LOT of sugar syrup in an outside feeder, but it hasn't helped. Today, I added loose sugar on paper on top of the frames of the two hives without honey, but they don't seem too interested in it. We bought some pollen replacer called "Bee-Pro" today in town and I mixed in some of it with sugar to make sugar/pollen patties......they are drying now and I'll put them into all three hives tomorrow. Are the two without honey doomed, or is there anything we can do? Can bees winter over with nothing but sugar/pollen patties? I ain't lookin' good.....
OH, it snowed here 4 inches September 28th, but most has melted now. Daytime temps have been in the 40's-50's. I want to wrap up the hives tomorrow.
First, I would put a empty deep box on top of the hive as a feeder box. Put your new feeder inside with some very heavy syrup. I use the kitchen stove and heat the water to about 150 -160 - use 6 cups of water and stir in 14 cups of sugar heat and stir until dissolved. Do not boil. You can put in some cream of tarter (2 tsp ) and lemon juice if you want. It turns the sucrose into fructose and glucose like the bees do. You can buy on line a 1 gal chick feeder (it's red and white) with a flat top that is the same height as a frame and put straw or 8-10 wood pieces in the trough to keep the bees from drowning. One gallon of heavy syrup will fill one frame - about 10-11 lbs. Your bees will need at least 6-7 frames of honey so you will need a late winter. The chick feeder will feed your bees faster then any can or jar with nail holes by far. My small hive will take a gallon a day if its warm outside. You should throw some pollen paddies on also unless they have a lot of pollen. Good luck!
Block off most of your front entrance also. Leave it open only an inch. Your big hive is robbing your other hives.
@@russellkoopman3004 Thank you Russell. This is what we have been doing:
ua-cam.com/video/upLRZQ7Wb_A/v-deo.html
Part of the problem I think is that the neighbor has a dozen hives or so also about 400 yards away. I haven't noticed a lot of robbing, but they could be. His bees are getting most of the syrup. I put entrance reducers on today, and I'm making sugar patties with pollen. We had trouble last year feeding inside the feeders with robbing, so we put these about 75 feet away. Tomorrow, I'll try moving them inside the feeder as you suggest. I'm worried about robbing, but at this point maybe it doesn't matter. Can bees survive a long, cold winter on sugar/pollen patties?
@@MuskratOutdoors It happens every year to someone someplace when they run out of natural resources a candy board with some pollen sub will save them 50% of time. The best coarse is honey in jar feeder on top of hive like Russell described above. You can use 4 to 1 sugar syrup but put pollen sub in it. Hope it helps.
Muskrat Outdoors never add sugar water in the winter it puts too much moisture in the hive a wet bee is a dead bee in the winter.
Hey David--question for you. Why would we not feed bees regular ground organic pollen without all the substitutes? Is there a reason why I would not want to do the and use the substitute instead? I'm personally not a fan of feeding bees essential oils. But what are your thoughts. Thanks.
Will the bees draw comb on those empty frames this time if year? I'm in my first season, and after all my rookie mistakes I only have about 18 fully drawn (medium!) frames to try to over-winter in.. Also, will open feeding pollen promote robbing behavior? Can the dry pollen be used inside the hive?
What about patties? when to we use patties?
Thank you
Can you please tail me how to make patties up use ultra bee pollen
Christopher Davis Just dump some Ultrabee in a large bowl, slowly add 2:1 syrup while stirring. Keep mixing til it has a thick, peanut butter-like consistency. Plop a few ounces onto a 6-8 inch square of parchment paper, cover with the same, flatten it out to about 1/4” (thicker is OK if using a feeder rim. Start with small patties; make larger ones if bees are fully consuming before patty dries out and gets hard. They’ll take more when raising a lot of brood; in the fall, less. Dave’s bees will open feed on pollen, mine will not. At all. Never. Probably because I’m in an urban residential area; there’s always a trickle, at least, of pollen available here, thats probably the reason. Feeding protein throughout as much of the year as possible, to the degree they’ll take it, has been the most important thing I’ve done to have thriving, healthy colonies. Real pollen is best, but having substitute available as well seems to make a huge difference. (Note: small hive beetles are basically non-existent where I am, so that makes my use of patties more liberal than Dave’s).
@@paulchristu996 thank you
@@christopherdavis9012 just search for pollen patties here on UA-cam and you get several hits. And in Europe we don't start to use them before it gets closer to spring because the queen start to lay eggs like crazy and the risk of overcrowded hive's to early is big.
How do I feed pollen Protein patties when the bee's are down and in a cluster?
Also, should I have pollen Patty on in the early spring?
Hey hey