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I have put pollen sub and pollen patties out on a raised feeder platform off and on for the past 2 months. The platform is approx 6 feet off the ground. Recently the bees have been bringing in fresh pollen and have not bothered the pollen sub BUT. The pollen patties, small portions, approx 4 inches square have been disappearing like overnight and the pollen sub in a few days.
Has anyone else had problems with squirrels or birds eating pollen patties or pollen sub? I am not sure what else might be taking it.

I am curious as to this method of feeding pollen patties. Where did you come up with this idea?

Kurt

How did I come up with the idea?

Even though the hives had several frames of capped stores I was still feeding syrup on a raised platform over the winter on warm days so I thought I would put part of a pollen patty out to see what the bees would do with it. There has been some pollen patty out most of the winter. Sometimes there were several bees and sometimes none. I also kept an eye on the patty for SHB to see when they started to show up but none yet.
Is there a problem with putting pollen patty out this way?

The bees are bringing in fresh pollen now so they are ignoring the pollen sub now anyway.

I started putting partial pollen patties on the top bars of the brood chamber the beginning of February. But I still wanted to see if they would take the open feeder pollen patty.

SO I was just having fun.

The raised platform is a few boards across some poles left over from my sons old playhouse.

Nothing wrong I guess but ineffective as you have noticed.
Pollen paties are a great attractant for mice and other critters.
By the shape of the patties they are designed to go in the hive. I find it most beneficial to break the cluster and place the patty in the midst of the bees. This way they are surrounding the patty and can consume it at a greater pace without concern of small hive beetle and the likes.

That's a great tip Kurt, I was wondering about that. I had modified a syrup feeder with an additional section that I put patties into, but the SHB like to eat'em and lay in them, which is not helpful in my trying to destroy their population. I'll put pieces in the middle of the bees next time. Just to let you know my dogs LOVE eating the patties. I had bees coming into my yards and taking water off of a tarp, so I thought I'd give them a little pollen wrapped stick by the water trough. My dogs found it and were munching it faster than you can say "buzz off"! So there you go. I think the stuff looks like chewy caramel myself....