I am being asked more and more, especially by new beekeepers, when they should feed pollen or pollen substitutes. When I ask them why, the answer is usually because they were told to, have read they should or have seen an online video. I know there are persuasive advertisements for these substances, which use emotive words such as "health", "wellbeing", "nutrition", "vigour", etc, but I have never found a need to feed my bees such things. Getting back to the original point, there is no "should" about it. It is an option that you can please yourself whether you use or not. If a colony is genuinely short of pollen, then feed pollen or substitute.

Roger Patterson.

Page created 29/08/2022

Page updated 04/09/2022