Pollen Patty and warm winter ?

[Mikey N.C.]

Happy new beekeeping year.
Has anyone used dadants brood builder patties ?
Would it be to risky to use a little now on weak (small) hives at this time knowing we've had a warm winter and are probably going to have a cold Jan. & Feb.

[iddee]

It will cause much higher consumption of stores, so feed accordingly. Three days with an empty feed jar can kill a hive when ramping up brood rearing.

[Mikey N.C.]

I have the sugar boards on top

[iddee]

Sugar boards are for feeding adult bees, not brood. Brood needs liquid.

[Mikey N.C.]

I have 2 Boardman feeders setting out about 10 feet from hives is that good enough or do i need to install millet feeders

[iddee]

If you are feeding pollen patties, I would use jars in holes in the inner lid, with a cover box and lid on that. They can keep the jar lid, and the syrup they are using, warm on cold days and nights.

[Mikey N.C.]

I'm not feeding patties yet. Should i pull sugar boards and install jars like you said and if so how many holes in lid

[Mikey N.C.]

And also should it be 1:1 or 2:1, 1 box had 4 frames solid capped honey,  the other had 6 frames solid capped honey.

[iddee]

Leave as is until feed is needed, than 1:1.

[Mikey N.C.]

Ok, thanks.

[G3farms]

When you do put the pollen patties on keep a good eye out for small hive beetles also ramping up. Used them for the first time last year and when I checked them one day there were thousands of eggs ready to hatch out. We scraped like crazy getting the pollen patties out of the hives. Took a torch and ran along the top bars to kill any eggs we might have missed also. But then we did not have any kind of a winter either.