New Food Supplements For Bees
I have written much already on Feeding Bees but I just wanted to let you know that Vita (blog sponsor) have launched two new bee feeds onto the market (and is now available in retailers in the UK and other countries):
- VitaFeed Patty: Pollen-rich feed that is best used in autumn to create strong winter bees
- VitaFeed Power: A liquid nutritional supplement packed with essential amino acids and best used in spring to promote colony growth and when producing splits, packages and nucs
These feeds complement their existing feeds:
- VitaFeed Nutri: Protein-rich feed that can be used at any time of the year to create strong winter bees
- VitaFeed Gold: Best for colonies that have been weakened by dysentery or related conditions.
Vita state that rigorous trials in different countries have shown the positive effects of using VitaFeed Patty and VitaFeed Power. Studies show that bees increase their pollen consumption by 50% when the percentage of protein in the pollen drops from 30% to 20%. When protein content drops, bees turn to their own body reserves. This in turn reduces their lifespan, their brood-rearing capability and therefore the development of the colony. VitaFeed compensates for protein deficiencies. Studies have shown that use of VitaFeed in spring results in an average of two additional frames of brood per colony, compared with control colonies fed only with sugar.
More Information
Images below click through to the Vita site and provide a full image:
Further Reading
- A funny blog post about me feeding bees: The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
- A sad post and a reminder to read the comb to see if they need feeding: Starving Bees
- Using Jumbo feeders: Roger’s 15 Minute Meals – Proper Pukka
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Last year I fed some Candipoline in September to a colony whose queen had stopped laying for six weeks. From experience the colony still felt like it had a queen but it had no pollen stored and the ivy season was proving to be a washout. They managed to raise enough winter bees to get through and with another feed at the end of January they are my strongest colony and starting to cap stores in the super. I intervene as little as possible but there is a time and a place.