Autumn feeding

[Do224]

An experienced beekeeper recently told me that I should be finished my autumn feeding by the middle of September here in Cumbria.

I appreciate it depends on the year and the weather, but I feel like mid September might be a bit early…I was actually only planning to start feeding by about 20th, so as to leave the queen as much laying space for as long as possible.

Not too sure when to feed now…

 

[user 20297]

An experienced beekeeper recently told me that I should be finished my autumn feeding by the middle of September here in Cumbria.

I appreciate it depends on the year and the weather, but I feel like mid September might be a bit early…I was actually only planning to start feeding by about 20th, so as to leave the queen as much laying space for as long as possible.

Not too sure when to feed now…

I won't be feeding by mid-September, here, a few degrees north of you. At this rate, it's likely the bees will then still be bringing in nectar and I haven't removed honey yet. If you can get the syrup to them from within your insulated cover, you won't need to start so soon. in any case. If I was feeding now it would be a little and often of thin syrup, as you say, to encourage the build-up of bees rather than serious storage.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

An experienced beekeeper

Those words always start the alarm bells ringing

 

[blackcloud]

Being experienced doesn't necessarily mean that you have learned from your mistakes

 

[Do224]

Those words always start the alarm bells ringing

Well he’s probably in his 80’s so he’s definitely experienced…whether he’s competent or not though I don’t know. Hence my query…

 

[Do224]

I won't be feeding by mid-September, here, a few degrees north of you. At this rate, it's likely the bees will then still be bringing in nectar and I haven't removed honey yet. If you can get the syrup to them from within your insulated cover, you won't need to start so soon. in any case. If I was feeding now it would be a little and often of thin syrup, as you say, to encourage the build-up of bees rather than serious storage.

Thanks for the insight. When would you normally begin feeding? Am I right in thinking the temp needs to be above about 12 degrees for them to be able to take the syrup (I feel like I read that somewhere once)?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I usually start feeding towards the end of September

 

[blackcloud]

Ditto
As the flow dries up

 

[user 20297]

Thanks for the insight. When would you normally begin feeding? Am I right in thinking the temp needs to be above about 12 degrees for them to be able to take the syrup (I feel like I read that somewhere once)?

It feels like I read that somewhere too; but I wouldn't take it literally. So long as you've considered how you'll supply the syrup to them, (eg. insulated feeder) the hive temperature will make the syrup and the internal conditions of the feeder more amenable to them, even when it's cold outside.

 

[Beemum]

as my colonies are only small (I have one in a nuc and one in a BB + super), how do I work out how much feed they need please?

 

[enrico]

Bet the 80 year old was born before climate change was even considered! I was

 

[Erichalfbee]

as my colonies are only small (I have one in a nuc and one in a BB + super), how do I work out how much feed they need please?

Oft quoted figures are 40lb for a National and 20/25lb for a nuc
A National frame holds 5lb of honey if it's full
You'll see many people, especially on Facebook and YouTube advocating that you feed until the bees don't take any more. This is a mistake as you need to make sure there is enough space for the bees to make winter bees in September and October

 

[nettle]

Oft quoted figures are 40lb for a National and 20/25lb for a nuc
A National frame holds 5lb of honey if it's full

Right, I need to get my head around these amounts, because it was a constant source of worry last year. Sorry if these are utterly stupid questions...

So, that's 5lb per brood frame then, rather than super?

For a nuc then, you'd need 4-5 frames of honey (leaving only 1-2 frames for brood)? Or would it be best to have a little nuc super for extra stores?

And a brood box needs a full 8 frames of stores, leaving only 3 for brood?

All of mine have a lot more brood than that just now. I know the brood nest shrinks as it gets later in the season, but it seems a bit tight to get in that much stores into a single brood box? I've got two of mine on brood-&-half, so if they fill out the top box with honey then I'm happy with that (one has, the other will need fed).

My little swarm from June has expanded really well, and is currently drawing out the 11th frame in the box. I'm debating whether to give them a super before the winter, or whether that might give them too much space to fill and might give them too much space to try and heat.

I was told last year to feed as much as they'd take, and I ended up with two hives packed full of syrup come the spring. This year I'm trying to be more conservative with the feeding and see if they can overwinter on their own honey where possible.

 

[user 20297]

Right, I need to get my head around these amounts, because it was a constant source of worry last year. Sorry if these are utterly stupid questions...

So, that's 5lb per brood frame then, rather than super?

For a nuc then, you'd need 4-5 frames of honey (leaving only 1-2 frames for brood)? Or would it be best to have a little nuc super for extra stores?

And a brood box needs a full 8 frames of stores, leaving only 3 for brood?

All of mine have a lot more brood than that just now. I know the brood nest shrinks as it gets later in the season, but it seems a bit tight to get in that much stores into a single brood box? I've got two of mine on brood-&-half, so if they fill out the top box with honey then I'm happy with that (one has, the other will need fed).

My little swarm from June has expanded really well, and is currently drawing out the 11th frame in the box. I'm debating whether to give them a super before the winter, or whether that might give them too much space to fill and might give them too much space to try and heat.

I was told last year to feed as much as they'd take, and I ended up with two hives packed full of syrup come the spring. This year I'm trying to be more conservative with the feeding and see if they can overwinter on their own honey where possible.

Some good questions there.....I've had similar experiences and puzzlement.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Right, I need to get my head around these amounts, because it was a constant source of worry last year. Sorry if these are utterly stupid questions...

So, that's 5lb per brood frame then, rather than super?

For a nuc then, you'd need 4-5 frames of honey (leaving only 1-2 frames for brood)? Or would it be best to have a little nuc super for extra stores?

And a brood box needs a full 8 frames of stores, leaving only 3 for brood?

All of mine have a lot more brood than that just now. I know the brood nest shrinks as it gets later in the season, but it seems a bit tight to get in that much stores into a single brood box? I've got two of mine on brood-&-half, so if they fill out the top box with honey then I'm happy with that (one has, the other will need fed).

My little swarm from June has expanded really well, and is currently drawing out the 11th frame in the box. I'm debating whether to give them a super before the winter, or whether that might give them too much space to fill and might give them too much space to try and heat.

I was told last year to feed as much as they'd take, and I ended up with two hives packed full of syrup come the spring. This year I'm trying to be more conservative with the feeding and see if they can overwinter on their own honey where possible.

Bees over winter between the frames and in empty cells. You don’t need masses of room for new brood as there isn’t any. As laying picks up in late December early January the stores are eaten.

 

[Erichalfbee]

And you’ve discovered the pitfalls of over feeding.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My little swarm from June has expanded really well, and is currently drawing out the 11th frame in the box. I'm debating whether to give them a super before the winter, or whether that might give them too much space to fill and might give them too much space to try and heat.

Leave them where they are and keep you super for spring.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

An experienced beekeeper recently told me that I should be finished my autumn feeding by the middle of September here in Cumbria.

I appreciate it depends on the year and the weather, but I feel like mid September might be a bit early…I was actually only planning to start feeding by about 20th, so as to leave the queen as much laying space for as long as possible.

Not too sure when to feed now…

No reason not to feed now unless you want to take some more honey off. I like to get me feeding done by mid September. Although I don't have to.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Similar to Hebeegeebee - most colonies now treated and in process of feeding. Ivy just about to blossom here in Suffolk so pretty much the end of the beekeeping season.

 

[Nick Lang]

So do you folks automatically feed... irrespective of the size of the colony, number of frames...etc?

I have two hives that the supers have come off.....but they seem pretty much full of brood/stores....not sure there's much room in there

Would you just automatically feed???....they were already building and storing above the frames into the eke where I'm treating with apiguard at the mo