Hi Chris-

> He's now not going to use it, and I was wondering if it could be fed
to the bees (safely). It has a hive-like smell and crumbles >into moist
meal when you roll it between fingertips. It's in pellets like it was
stripped off bees in a pollen trap maybe?

I wouldn't feed it to the bees unless you are sure it came from
disease-free hives. And how can you be sure of that?
It would have been gathered using a pollen trap.

> Is pollen good for anything other than bee food? Seems a shame to
leave it sitting, will it eventually spoil?

It is excellent human food, rich in protein, B vitamins, and minerals.
Use it sparingly at first to see if you react to it. Pollen will mold
rather quickly unless dried or frozen. Most pollen sold in health food
stores has been dried. But if your pollen is soft enough to smash
between your fingers it probably still has a high enough moisture to
spoil if left in the fridge very long.

Regards
John M.

--- In warrebeekeeping@..., "pointydog" <pointydog@...>
wrote:
>
> I have a big bag of natural pollen in the refrigerator that was
supposed to be for a friend's allergies.
>
> He's now not going to use it, and I was wondering if it could be fed
to the bees (safely). It has a hive-like smell and crumbles into moist
meal when you roll it between fingertips. It's in pellets like it was
stripped off bees in a pollen trap maybe?
>
> Is pollen good for anything other than bee food? Seems a shame to
leave it sitting, will it eventually spoil?
>
> If it can be fed, how do you do it?
>
> On another note, I went in today and removed the empty queen cage. I
put on my nice new bee-proof suit but it was more bother than it was
worth. The bees didn't seem to notice me at all. I have pollen coming in
and lots of activity. there's a new comb and some new white wax on areas
of the old combs. No eggs that i could see from the windows yet, but
there could be some closer to the center where I can't see.
>
> David, they have not shredded or dismantled the old comb, they are
cleaning out the remaining few dead bees stuck in the cells and have
polished everything. They've built out some areas with new wax too. This
their 6th complete day in the hive.
>
> Chris in NY
>