Last updated: August 21, 2026
Two names come up whenever backyard beekeepers talk about buying protein patties instead of mixing them: HiveAlive and Global Patties. Both are sold in one pound slabs between wax paper, both come in a lower and a higher pollen version, and both end up on top bars in late winter for the same reason. On a shelf they look almost interchangeable.
They are not quite. The difference is less about protein content than most people assume, and more about what is added, how quickly the bees work through a patty, and how the pack sizes fit a one or two hive apiary. Here is what actually separates them, and how to decide which percentage you want before either arrives.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Quick Answer
HiveAlive or Global Patties for a backyard hive?
- Both are built on the same idea: a soy and yeast based protein base with real pollen added, sold in one pound patties.
- HiveAlive patties add the company’s own seaweed extract supplement and amino acids to that base.
- The pollen percentage mostly changes how fast the bees eat the patty, not how much protein is in it, so 4 percent suits slow steady feeding and 15 percent suits a fast build up.
- For one or two hives, buy the smallest pack you can and freeze what you do not use.
Bottom line: pick the pollen percentage on how fast you want it consumed, then pick the brand on pack size and what extras you want in the mix.
What Is Actually in Each One
Global Patties are made from a base of soya flour, brewers yeast, sugar and water, with real pollen mixed in. That is the classic pollen substitute formula, and it is the same family of ingredients that university extension recipes use when they publish a homemade version. The patties come in different pollen percentages built on the same base.
HiveAlive pollen patties use a comparable protein base with real United States pollen, and add the company’s own supplement to it: a seaweed extract concentrate plus amino acids. That addition is the brand’s whole proposition, since HiveAlive started as a liquid feed supplement and the patties extend that product line onto the top bars.
What the Pollen Percentage Really Changes
This is the detail that trips up most first time buyers. The pollen percentage is not a measure of how nutritious the patty is. Both percentages are built on the same protein base, and the pollen is there for attractiveness. What changes is how eagerly the bees work through it.
Global Patties describes it plainly: the lower percentage is consumed more slowly and supports a steady build up, which suits feeding started very early or in the fall, while the higher percentage is eaten much faster and drives a quicker build up. Choose on the pace you want, not on the assumption that a bigger number is better.
Which One Suits a Backyard Hive
For a colony being nudged along in late winter before there is anything flowering, the slower burning lower percentage is often the sensible choice, because it lasts and it does not push brood rearing faster than the weather allows. The higher percentage makes more sense when you want a strong population ready for a specific flow and the calendar is tight.
The Options Side by Side
| Product | Pollen options | Added to the base | Typical pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| HiveAlive pollen patty | 4 or 15 percent US pollen | Seaweed extract, amino acids | Small multi pound packs and larger cases |
| Global Patties | 4 or 15 percent pollen | Nothing beyond the base | Small multi packs and bulk cases |
| Lower percentage | Slower consumption | Same base | Early or steady feeding |
| Higher percentage | Faster consumption | Same base | Fast build up before a flow |
Buying for One or Two Hives
HiveAlive, Higher Percentage
The version to reach for when you want the patty eaten quickly and you like the idea of the seaweed and amino acid additions going in with it. Bear in mind that the colony build up claims for that supplement come from the manufacturer rather than from independent testing, so treat them as marketing rather than as settled fact.
HiveAlive, Lower Percentage
The slower burning option in the same range, which is generally the better fit for a small apiary starting protein feeding early in the year. Larger cases exist, and they are a poor buy for two hives unless you have freezer space and a plan for the rest.
Global Patties, Higher Percentage
The straightforward version of the same product: protein base plus pollen, nothing else, in the percentage that gets eaten fast. If you would rather not pay for additives whose effect you cannot verify, this is the honest choice.
Global Patties, Lower Percentage
The version most often recommended for an extra early start, because the slower consumption rate means a patty stays available longer rather than disappearing in a week. It is also the version least likely to sit half eaten, which matters for the beetle problem below.
The Small Hive Beetle Problem
Whichever brand you buy, a patty that sits uneaten is a small hive beetle nursery. Beetles lay in pollen patties, and in regions where they are established a large slab left on a colony that is not consuming it can turn into a serious problem within weeks. This is the single most common way protein feeding backfires.
The management is simple. Put on pieces small enough that the colony finishes them, check on your next inspection, and pull anything that is not being worked. If beetles are already an issue in your yard, our guide to traps that actually catch covers the rest of the response.
Storage and Handling
Patties come stacked between sheets of wax paper, and that paper stays on when the patty goes on the hive. The bees chew through it, and it keeps the slabs from fusing into one block in storage. Keep unused patties sealed in the freezer, where they hold their moisture, and put them on the hive straight from frozen.
Patties left in a warm shed dry out, and a dried patty gets ignored. If yours have hardened at the edges, that is usually why the colony is not touching them, rather than anything wrong with the brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 15 percent pollen better than 4 percent? Not better, faster. Both are built on the same protein base, and the pollen percentage mostly affects how quickly the bees consume the patty. Higher drives a faster build up, lower gives a slower steady one.
What is different about HiveAlive patties? They add the company’s seaweed extract supplement and amino acids to a protein and pollen base. Global Patties keep to the base of soya flour, brewers yeast, sugar, water and pollen without those additions.
How many patties does one hive need? Fewer than most people buy. Feed pieces the colony can finish rather than full slabs left to sit, and stop when natural pollen is coming in. Uneaten patty is a liability, not a reserve.
Can I freeze them? Yes, and you should. Sealed in the freezer they keep their moisture through a season, and they go onto the hive straight from frozen without any problem.
Are these a substitute for feeding syrup? No. Patties supply protein for brood rearing; syrup supplies carbohydrate. A colony short on stores needs the carbohydrate side addressed first, which is covered in our guide to sugar syrup for bees.
Is mixing my own cheaper? Marginally, for one or two hives, and you take on the mixing ratio and the moisture level yourself. Our pollen patty recipe walkthrough covers what that involves if you want to try it.
The Bottom Line
HiveAlive and Global Patties sit on the same protein base and differ mainly in what HiveAlive adds to it, so the more consequential choice is the pollen percentage: lower for slow steady feeding, higher for a fast build up before a flow. Buy the smallest pack that fits your apiary, freeze the rest, and pull anything the bees are not eating before beetles find it. For the decision of whether to feed protein at all, start with the pollen patty guide.