Why Feed Protein Patties?

• Bees need both protein and carbohydrates for colony growth and to produce large honey crops.
• Feed protein patties in spring to ensure colony health, maximum build-up, and maximum production for the entire year, and reduce losses and dwindling the following winter.
• Patties ensure a balanced diet when bees are:
• unable to forage due to weather
• short of stored pollen
• in monoculture areas where only a few pollen sources are to be found
• too weak to forage
• subject to competition from stronger hives in the yard
• stressed by weather, pesticides, mites, and diseases
• Patties are easy to move around the top frame and share between hives.

How to Get the Best Results from Feeding Patties

• Make sure you have enough patties – at least two, and preferably four or more patties per hive
• For spring feeding, start feeding patties no earlier than one month before the first reliable spring pollen inflow (i.e. March)
• Locate the center of the cluster (where the brood is being raised) smoke the bees down gently, then place one patty on the top bars in the center of the cluster. On larger colonies use two or three patties, covering the whole brood area.
• Ensure that the paper with the holes is facing down so that the bees have access to the patty. For weak colonies remove the bottom paper.
• Return weekly replacing patties have been consumed. Move any patties that weren’t centered into the center. Inspect and diagnose any colonies that are not feeding. They may have a disease or be queenless.
• Bees will still use patties when natural pollen is available, needing them on days when snow is late poor weather confines the bees to the hive.