Backyard Apiary

The next batch of bees to be laid will most likely be the ones who will keep the hive alive through the winter. Bees live about 6 weeks. The main limiter of their lifespan are their fragile wings that get worn out. To help ensure the next batch of bees is good and strong, I wanted to feed the bees some pollen. I made a pollen patty by mixing about 1.5 pounds of sugar  with 4 ounces of water. I mixed it up until it made a thick paste and then mixed in 4 ounces of dried pollen. It made a nice thick gooey mess with pollen chunks in it. It looked disgusting. I put a golf ball sized clump in the top bar hive to see if they liked it. The following day, it was completely gone. I guess they approved. I spread the rest out on to wax paper and let it harden in the fridge. One patty went to the most recent split. The other was given to the top bar hive. I plan on making more for the hives over at the community garden.