Daprobee proteins 12kg (400g x 30)

01 · WHAT IS IN IT

Sugars with five per cent protein

The bulk is easily assimilated sugars, made from glucose and fructose syrups from the corn food industry, free of starch. On that base sits around 5 % micronised protein — particle below 10 µm — carrying all the essential amino acids for the bee to De Groot's stated requirements, plus fat, B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals. It is made by high pressure and low temperature in stainless steel tanks, which is what keeps heat from degrading proteins and vitamins.

02 · WHY 400 GRAMS

Because once pollen comes in, the surplus gets dumped

The format is the product's real argument. Against the usual kilo of the competition, the 400 g patty is better used up for a handling reason: as soon as pollen starts coming in, even poor pollen, the hive discards the patty it does not need. With 400 g — or 200, splitting the bag — you put out what will be eaten in that window and leave no half kilo to end up dumped or mouldy over the frames.

03 · HOW TO PUT IT IN

Half a bag, opening over the brood

Depending on population and season, cut the bag in half and apply 200 g per hive, leaving the opening right over the brood chamber. In autumn and winter it is better to open the underside: the bees reach it more easily from the cluster and the paste does not lose moisture. When the aim is to stimulate laying, pair the patty with a liquid syrup; on its own it brings little carbohydrate volume.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It pays to be clear about the scale before buying: at 5 % protein, this is an energy paste with a protein complement, not a pollen substitute. A real substitute sits at 40-50 % protein, and that is what you need if the colony arrives with a genuine deficit — no pollen in the field, nuclei starting up, recovery after the harvest. Daprobee fits when pollen is coming in but is short in some amino acid (sunflower, eucalyptus), or when you want to back the build-up without changing feed. And the usual rule: do not feed during the flow if you intend to harvest that honey for sale.