Small Pollen Patty Pieces
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My honeybees enjoying a 1x2 inch piece of pollen substitute. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
“…why can’t I just leave a slab of pollen substitute on the top of my frames? You keep saying it has to be a small piece and that means a lot of visits back to the hives….” — Sarah
Small Pollen Patty Pieces
Hi Sarah, small hive beetles love pollen substitute, they use it to lay their eggs and feed their larvae.
If you leave a huge piece of pollen substitute, you are basically setting up a small hive beetle nursery.
By placing only small pieces in the hives, the bees can quickly consume it before small hive beetles lay their eggs.
If you look at the photo, you will also see Lesser Wax Moth cocoons on the side of the pollen substitute. That’s another reason why we say store the pollen substitute in a refrigerator or freezer, you don’t want to be raising anything more than honey bees with the pollen patties.
