# Cons to Pollen Patties?

**URL:** <https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798>\
**Category:** Beekeeping - Basics\
**Created:** [July 7, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798 "2016-07-07T23:18:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jstrano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a4c791/32.png) [@Jstrano](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Jstrano)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/1 "2016-07-07T23:18:18Z")

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For what reasons might I not want to feed pollen patties?

I intend to put Flow supers in place soon.

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**Author:** ![Rodderick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/rodderick/32/15174_2.png) [@Rodderick](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rodderick)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/2 "2016-07-08T00:10:28Z")

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When there is adequate pollen sources with a high protein content.

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**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/3 "2016-07-08T02:31:42Z")

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> [@Jstrano](#):
>
> For what reasons might I not want to feed pollen patties?

1. If your bees already have adequate pollen stores. They will fill up more space with unneeded pollen, because they are little hoarders. 😉
2. If you don’t know where the pollen/protein came from. It might carry disease if it is real pollen.
3. If you don’t need more brood. Pollen stimulates brood formation. Feeding pollen going into Fall is not necessarily a good thing if your queens are beginning to wind down their egg laying. Late winter or early spring is a better time to feed protein, but then again, only if the stores are low.

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**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 11:27am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/4 "2016-07-08T11:27:27Z")

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Hi - just wondering, are you sure there’s still a nectar flow on in your area? Because if there isn’t (I live near Philadelphia PA & it’s a dearth now til late August or so) then the bees might do nothing with the Flow frames, or might propolize them.

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**Author:** ![Michael\_Bush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/michael_bush/32/1024_2.png) [@Michael\_Bush](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Michael_Bush)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/5 "2016-07-09T17:40:00Z")

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> [@Jstrano](#):
>
> For what reasons might I not want to feed pollen patties?

Small hive beetles. Short lived bees. Encouraging brood rearing at the wrong times…

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**Author:** ![OliviaFox](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/oliviafox/32/4595_2.png) [@OliviaFox](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/OliviaFox)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/6 "2017-05-09T00:24:23Z")

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Hi Michael! Could you explain the protein patty = short lived bees?

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**Author:** ![Michael\_Bush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/michael_bush/32/1024_2.png) [@Michael\_Bush](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Michael_Bush)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/cons-to-pollen-patties/7798/7 "2017-05-10T23:26:50Z")

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Short lived bees are what you get from pollen substitute. That’s what the research shows. Bees need real pollen to get long lived bees.