# Pollen patties



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We will normally put pollen patties on the bees as soon as it warms into the 40F on a sunny day with little wind. Got them on early March 11th. I just lift the top cover off so I can slide a hive tool under the intercover, pry it up just enough to make a gap the pollen patty will slip thru at the back of the hive then let the cover down. Then replace the outer cover.
I went around and put a second one on yesterday.

There are a few recipes on the net for those of you who want to make your own. We used to make our own but now just buy the pollen pro patties from Mann Lake. Bees seem to take off better since we started using them..

Our records show the average day, since we have recorded the bees bringing in natural pollen is March 28th. I spent a lot of time around the bees and nothing yet this year. No skunk cabbage showing in the woods yet either.

 Al


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks for the info on the patties, we ordered some from Mann Lake too and are expecting our first bees with in a month or so. 

What is skunk cabbage? We are so dry over here in WI I'm surprised anything is growing yet.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Skunk cabbage is a very early spring growing plant mostly in wet areas. Provides early pollen for the bees. Have seen it coming up thru 4 inches of snow before.

 Al


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Ford Zoo i hope you get rain real soon.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks k9, me too. I'm worried again this year about the hay crop. I dug a 4 foot hole 2 weeks ago and the sand was barely moist down there. Not good for just having the spring thaw.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We got a half inch on Monday but are still 3 inches short for this time of years normal snow/rain. Is so dry here the clay is cracking like mid summer.

 Al


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Not good. I'm not sure how far behind we are, but we hardly had any snow this year. There was barely any frost in the ground so what little bit we did have soaked right in. 

With the winds we have been having, we are still in a high fire danger even with the little bit of snow we had yesterday. I don't remember April being this dry in the 8 years we've lived here.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

What is skunk cabbage? We are so dry over here in WI I'm surprised anything is growing yet.
google has a pic of it


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Our frost got to over 50 inch's deep this past winter. No snow stayed till mid February.

 Al


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