Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Jim134 on September 05, 2017, 01:10:33 pm
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Is there such a thing as a pollen dearth ?
Does cornmeal have any nutritional value for honeybees ??
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :-)
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Is there such a thing as a pollen dearth ?
You live in New Hampshire ... how much pollen do you think there is in Dec, Jan, and Feb?
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"Does cornmeal have any nutritional value for honeybees ??"
Corn meal is almost all complex carbohydrates and a little of neonicitinoids.
The bees need protein. Not much protein in it.
Jim
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As a homemade pollen sub I think brewer's yeast would be a better choice. Even better, a prepared pollen sub. I use Mann Lake and it seems to work well at times the bees need it. If they have other options they will either ignore it and SHB move into it, or they will haul it all outside and dump it.
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Is there such a thing as a pollen dearth ?
You live in New Hampshire ... how much pollen do you think there is in Dec, Jan, and Feb?
Maybe he keeps his bees in a heated greenhouse with flowers and grow lights all winter.
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Is there such a thing as a pollen dearth ?
Sure - that's why they store it. But, luckily pollen doesn't only come from seasonal flowers - pollen can be sourced from trees, hedges, and even from grass - ask any hay-fever sufferer !
There was a rather interesting 2010 Hungarian study in which the mineral content of pollen from sunflowers and willow was compared with pollen collected by honey-bees within that immediate area - which may be of some interest:
The following are figures given for mineral content (determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy), flower-pollen first, honeybee-collected pollen second (mg/kg):
Potassium: 7294.70 vs 4334.17
Calcium: 5492.78 vs 2020.23
Magnesium: 1764.86 vs 692.61
Zinc: 75.01 vs 35.83
Iron is a special case, with an unexceptional 325.29 vs 122.87 for willow, but a huge dilution of 2872.89 vs 27.42 for sunflowers. From studies conducted in other countries there appears to be little consensus regarding the normal range of honeybee pollen iron content - it varies wildly.
So it seems that honeybees are diluting mineral-rich pollens with (lower-grade ?) pollen from other sources. Make of that what you will.
LJ
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Is there info on cotton seed meal? The analysis seem very favorable, but I am concerned about the bad man made stuff.
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The first few flying days of spring the bees are all over my cracked corn that I give my chickens. I guess when they are desperate, they will get what they get. I would not feed it but the bees don't mind stealing from the chickens.
Cheers
gww
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Paus
With all the stuff they use on cotton to grow it I would be more worried about cotton seed meal.
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"Does cornmeal have any nutritional value for honeybees ??"
Corn meal is almost all complex carbohydrates and a little of neonicitinoids.
The bees need protein. Not much protein in it.
Jim
Thank you. I have my bees located.. it is about 50 yards to the ground cornmeal bin... lots of bees go in there this time of year. As well as in the springtime.. every at any given time there is probably at least three ton in the ground cornmeal in the cornmeal bin..
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
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You live in New Hampshire ... how much pollen do you think there is in Dec, Jan, and Feb?
Yes I do live in New Hampshire. The thing is my bees are in Vermont. The closest road for me to get there is through Massachusetts..LOL
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
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"Does cornmeal have any nutritional value for honeybees ??"
Corn meal is almost all complex carbohydrates and a little of neonicitinoids.
The bees need protein. Not much protein in it.
Jim
Thank you. I have my bees located.. it is about 50 yards to the ground cornmeal bin... lots of bees go in there this time of year. As well as in the springtime.. every at any given time there is probably at least three ton in the ground cornmeal in the cornmeal bin..
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
I have had bees collect black powder, probably from a forest fire, and store it in the comb. Not much nutritional value.
Jim
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I have had bees collect black powder, probably from a forest fire, and store it in the comb. Not much nutritional value.
Jim
I'm glad the bees are not in the Sawdust bin LOL..At about any given time there is about least 10 to 12 yards of sawdust in it ..This is perhaps 75 yd from my bee hives.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile: