Pollen is the main source of protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals for a honey bee colony. When natural pollen is scarce, a commercial pollen substitute such as Ultra Bee can help support brood rearing and colony buildup. The important point is to use it when the bees actually need supplemental protein rather than assuming more feed always means more bees and more honey. Feeding decisions sit within the wider Hive Management & Bee Health guide.
TL;DR: Ultra Bee is a high-protein commercial supplement designed for periods of pollen shortage. Mann Lake currently lists the dry feed at 58% crude protein. It can support brood production when natural pollen is limited, but it is not identical to pollen, it does not guarantee a larger honey crop, and uneaten patties can feed small hive beetles. Use it to solve a nutritional gap, not simply because it is available.
If you are still working through first-season feeding decisions, the Beginner Beekeeping guide puts pollen substitute, syrup feeding and colony buildup into the wider management picture.
What Is Pollen From a Bee’s Perspective?
We all know what pollen is, but I am going to define it differently here from the perspective of a bee. When we as bees go to a flower, we scratch around looking for sweet delicious nectar. As we do this, we get covered in this irritating powder. We keep scratching it off our hairs using our specialised legs and pack it onto the pollen baskets, or corbiculae, on our hind legs.
The original How Do Bees Get Pollen From Flowers? resource gives a simple visual introduction to that collection process.
Back in the hive, workers pack collected pollen into cells with nectar or honey and bee secretions. Stored pollen changes chemically and microbiologically and becomes what we call bee bread. The biology is more complicated than the old idea that bacteria simply make the pollen germinate and release all its nutrients, but the end result is a preserved food used heavily by nurse bees and developing brood.
We love pollen! Without it we would not bee.
What Is the Nutritional Composition of Pollen?
Bee-collected pollen is highly variable because different plants produce very different pollen. Reviews commonly place average protein content in the low-20% range, while also showing large variation between floral sources. Pollen also supplies essential fatty acids, sterols, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
This linked review contains useful background on pollen composition and honey bee nutrition.
This variability matters. A colony can have plenty of pollen coming in and still receive an unbalanced diet if the available plants do not provide the right amino-acid, lipid or micronutrient profile. Diverse forage is normally better than relying on one pollen source.
How Do Bees Process Pollen?
Bees consume fresh pollen and also store it in cells as bee bread. The pollen is mixed with nectar or honey and bee secretions and becomes more acidic during storage.
There is evidence for microbial activity and lactic-acid production in bee bread, but the scientific literature is not completely settled on how much of the nutritional change is caused by microbes. Some research describes fermentation and improved digestibility, while other work suggests the main function of hive storage may be preservation rather than extensive microbial predigestion.
That uncertainty does not change the practical point: pollen and bee bread are fundamental protein foods for the colony.
Can We Substitute Pollen With Another Food?
Beekeepers have experimented with pollen substitutes for decades. Soy flour, yeast, albumin, amino-acid blends and other protein sources have all been used in commercial diets.
As with any nutritional supplement, it is important to know what you are trying to achieve. Protein supplementation solves a different problem from carbohydrate feeding, which is covered in our sugar water recipe for bees. A year in the field can save a whole day in the library!! But read up before you even start such a venture.
USDA research shows that pollen substitutes can sustain brood rearing when natural pollen is lacking, although different commercial diets do not always perform equally. Other USDA work has also found that natural pollen can be more digestible than some substitute diets. So I would not treat any substitute as a perfect synthetic copy of pollen.
Ultra Bee Pollen Substitute
I must state at this point that I have no affiliation with Mann Lake Beekeeping Supplies other than that I like their products and respect the fact that the company has been around for a very long time.
The current Mann Lake specification for Ultra Bee pollen substitute lists the dry feed at 58% crude protein. The manufacturer also states that it contains a complete amino-acid profile together with vitamins, lipids and minerals and contains no animal by-products.
Mann Lake’s current ready-to-feed Ultra Bee patty is listed at 15% crude protein because the dry concentrate is incorporated into a finished patty formulation. When comparing protein percentages, make sure you are comparing the same form of product.
Does the High Protein Percentage Mean Bees Need Less Feed?
Bees do have to eliminate waste, and long periods of winter confinement can contribute to defecation problems. But colony buildup is controlled by much more than the protein percentage on the bag: diet digestibility, amino-acid balance, feed consumption, temperature, queen performance, disease, natural forage and carbohydrate availability all matter.
For more on the subject itself, see cleansing flights and bee droppings.
When Is Ultra Bee Most Useful?
The best use case is straightforward: you want the colony to rear brood and natural pollen is insufficient.
- Before an early spring buildup.
- During prolonged bad weather that prevents pollen foraging.
- During a seasonal pollen dearth.
- When preparing strong colonies for an upcoming pollination event.
- When local pollen quality is known to be poor.
Mississippi State University Extension makes the opposite point just as clearly: where natural pollen is already abundant, supplemental protein feeding may not be necessary. Feed should therefore respond to colony conditions and management goals.
Can Pollen Substitute Increase Brood Production?
Yes, when protein is limiting. USDA trials have found that colonies supplied with suitable pollen substitutes can maintain brood rearing and larger adult populations better than colonies receiving carbohydrate feed alone.
But the response depends on the diet and the surrounding forage. In one USDA comparison, some commercial substitutes performed differently when they were the only protein source, while differences became smaller when natural pollen was also available.
This is why I would be careful with the old promise that feeding Ultra Bee will automatically produce more workers and therefore more honey. It can help build the workforce when nutrition is the bottleneck. Whether that becomes a larger honey harvest depends on what happens next — forage, weather, swarm control, queen quality and colony health all still matter.
The Small Hive Beetle Problem
The most practical risk in warm small-hive-beetle country is leaving more protein feed in the colony than the bees can protect and consume. Small hive beetles are quite happy to eat pollen substitute too.
Mississippi State University Extension advises not feeding more protein supplement or pollen patty than bees can consume within about two days where beetle pressure is a concern.
If small hive beetles are active in your area, combine supplemental feeding with appropriate small hive beetle management.
Pros and Cons of Ultra Bee and Other Pollen Substitutes
| Potential advantages | Potential disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Available when natural pollen is scarce | Not nutritionally identical to diverse natural pollen |
| Can support brood rearing during a protein shortage | Benefits may be small when good pollen is already abundant |
| Easy to store and feed when needed | Uneaten patties can feed small hive beetles |
| Known formulated protein and amino-acid supply | Different products and formulations are not equivalent |
| Can help time colony buildup before an important flow or pollination event | Early buildup can also increase food demand and swarming pressure |
Some people feel that feeding substitutes is unnatural. I understand the argument, but I think the more useful question is whether the intervention helps you achieve a legitimate colony-management objective without creating another problem.
A commercial beekeeper preparing colonies for early pollination has a different problem from a backyard beekeeper surrounded by spring flowers. Science gives us useful tools, but we still have to choose when to use them.
How I Would Use a Pollen Substitute
I would first look at the colony and the environment. Are bees bringing in pollen? Is brood expanding? Is there an upcoming nectar flow or pollination job that justifies stimulating brood now? Is the colony strong enough to defend a protein patty from beetles?
If natural pollen is poor and I need more brood, a reputable commercial substitute such as Ultra Bee is a reasonable tool. If natural pollen is pouring into the hive and the colony is already expanding strongly, I would not feed protein simply because the bag is sitting in the shed.
There are many commercial pollen substitutes, and it is still sensible to see what works in your climate, management system and bees rather than assuming one formula is universally best. For other supplemental feeds, our guide to bee feeder types compares the main delivery options.
Ultra Bee Pollen Substitute FAQs
What is Ultra Bee pollen substitute?
Ultra Bee is a commercial honey bee protein supplement made by Mann Lake for times when natural pollen is unavailable or inadequate. The current dry feed is listed by the manufacturer at 58% crude protein.
When should I feed pollen substitute to bees?
Feed it when colonies need to rear brood but natural pollen is scarce or unreliable, such as before an important spring buildup or during a prolonged pollen dearth. If colonies are already bringing in abundant good-quality pollen, extra protein may provide little benefit.
Is Ultra Bee the same as natural pollen?
No. Ultra Bee is formulated to supply protein, amino acids, lipids, vitamins and minerals, but natural pollen is biologically diverse and its nutritional value varies by plant source. Research does not support treating every substitute as nutritionally identical to natural pollen.
How much protein is in Ultra Bee?
Mann Lake currently lists Ultra Bee dry feed at 58% crude protein. The ready-to-feed Ultra Bee patty is a different formulation and is listed at 15% crude protein, so the two product forms should not be confused.
Does Ultra Bee make colonies produce more honey?
Not automatically. Protein feeding can support brood production and colony buildup when pollen is limiting, which may help create a larger foraging population. Honey production still depends on forage, weather, swarm control, colony health and timing.
Can pollen substitutes increase small hive beetle problems?
Yes. Uneaten protein patties are attractive food for small hive beetles. Mississippi State University Extension advises feeding only as much protein supplement as bees can consume quickly rather than leaving excess patties in the hive.
Does Ultra Bee reduce the need for cleansing flights?
There is not good evidence that Ultra Bee’s higher protein concentration directly reduces cleansing flights enough to accelerate colony buildup. Winter dysentery and cleansing behaviour are influenced by several factors, including diet, confinement and colony health.
Are pollen substitutes always beneficial?
No. They are most useful when natural pollen is insufficient for the brood-rearing goal. Colonies with abundant high-quality forage may gain little from additional protein, and unnecessary feed can add cost or pest pressure.
Dr Garth A. Cambray is a beekeeper, biotechnologist and researcher with nearly three decades of practical beekeeping experience. He holds a PhD in Biotechnology from Rhodes University and has worked extensively in honey production, fermentation biotechnology and value-added bee products. View Dr. Garth Cambray’s credentials, research and experience.
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