autumn/winter feed-pollen and/or sugar syrup ?

[Buzzo]

Hi,
for autumn/winter feeding can i give both pollen substitute and/or sugar syrup ?

bit confused.

Thanks

B.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You don't need to give pollen substitute, you just need to feed heavy syrup.

 

[oliver90owner]

Just don’t. The pollen may get into the stores if they are too busy to separate it. Or do you want your bees suffering in the winter?

 

[Aza]

I’ve read some people feed dry sugar in winter, can you do that?

 

[bobthecob]

I’ve read some people feed dry sugar in winter, can you do that?

You can, but I am not sure why you wouldn't use fondant instead, given how much easier it is for the bees to take than dry sugar?

 

[understanding_bees]

It is now autumn in Australia, and I have taken the decision to feed my bees with 1:1 sugar syrup, from which the bees in several hives have been feeding eagerly.

One hive has not taken the syrup so quickly, and after just a few days the residue of syrup in the hive-top feeder has some specks of mould forming.

What reasons are known for the formation of mould in 1:1 syrup?

What is the best way to prevent mould from forming?

Is there some method which I should use apart from making sure that the feeder is thoroughly washed and clean?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It is now autumn in Australia, and I have taken the decision to feed my bees with 1:1 sugar syrup, from which the bees in several hives have been feeding eagerly.

One hive has not taken the syrup so quickly, and after just a few days the residue of syrup in the hive-top feeder has some specks of mould forming.

What reasons are known for the formation of mould in 1:1 syrup?

What is the best way to prevent mould from forming?

Is there some method which I should use apart from making sure that the feeder is thoroughly washed and clean?

Why have you chosen to feed 1:1 syrup? There's a lot more work for the bees to evaporate the excess water.
Dilute solutions permit the growth of moulds, bacteria and yeasts far more easily than concentrated ones do.
Adding thymol to syrup helps to inhibit fermentation and mould - look up hive makers recipe.

 

[Ian123]

1/1 syrup is fine this time of year and to be honest really shouldn’t be around long enough this time of year to warrant any concern re mould. As above thymol mix is the answer, personally I’d just use the standard non emulsion. I’d avoid thymol unless it’s really needed during this part of the season. Syrup in your honey is bad enough thymol is worse I’ve added a little of the surgical spirit and that alone will increase shelf life but not anywhere near as long.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is now autumn in Australia, and I have taken the decision to feed my bees with 1:1 sugar syrup, from which the bees in several hives have been feeding eagerly.

One hive has not taken the syrup so quickly, and after just a few days the residue of syrup in the hive-top feeder has some specks of mould forming.

What reasons are known for the formation of mould in 1:1 syrup?

What is the best way to prevent mould from forming?

Is there some method which I should use apart from making sure that the feeder is thoroughly washed and clean?

Feeding for winter stores is 2:1 and mould won't form in that.
As for cleaning....What sort of feeder are you using? I generally wash with the dishes and dry thoroughly....my feeders are plastic.
What is your main honey crop, by the way and how did you do?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Feeding for winter stores is 2:1 and mould won't form in that.

 

[understanding_bees]

Feeding for winter stores is 2:1 and mould won't form in that.
As for cleaning....What sort of feeder are you using? I generally wash with the dishes and dry thoroughly....my feeders are plastic.
What is your main honey crop, by the way and how did you do?

Thank you to all who have offered helpful advice.

With regard to the choice of syrup concentration, I had seen advice that 1:1 was suitable for autumn feeding. It is not that I specifically wanted to get them to build winter stores, but rather that I wanted to supplement them if they were not finding enough nectar naturally.

For reasons that I do not really understand, the bees this season do not appear to have done nearly as well as they did a year ago. I did split the main hive twice, during the springtime – firstly to pre-empt the possibility of them swarming when the colony was very strong, and subsequently because the main colony was still very strong, and I wanted to increase my hive numbers.

I am not the only one who has experienced this downturn in nectar availability here. I have heard that bees will readily feed on syrup if they cannot find enough nectar, and that conversely they will ignore syrup if they do find nectar. I wonder whether this is a widespread belief?

What has been interesting for me to observe is that three colonies have fed eagerly, and one has not consumed nearly as much syrup as the others. I have made clear-perspex crown boards, and have been fascinated to be able observe the bees activities on top of the honey frames, and also at the hive-top feeders. The feeders themselves are the ones I described in a recent post, which I made from 2kg yoghurt buckets. They are identical in construction, and were all thoroughly washed in the kitchen sink, and rinsed with clean hot water before they were put into service.

My plan for this year was to increase hive numbers, and not take any honey harvest this season. It was because the bees have not built up as strongly as anticipated, in the new hives, that I decided to help them along by feeding them. I live in suburbia, where there is a great deal of diversity of flowers in gardens, and a great variety of tree species. I do not think that it would ever be possible in this environment to describe a honey crop as anything other than “floral”, and “very nice”.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

1/1 syrup is fine this time of year and to be honest really shouldn’t be around long enough this time of year to warrant any concern re mould. As above thymol mix is the answer, personally I’d just use the standard non emulsion. I’d avoid thymol unless it’s really needed during this part of the season. Syrup in your honey is bad enough thymol is worse I’ve added a little of the surgical spirit and that alone will increase shelf life but not anywhere near as long.

He/she is in Oz

 

[ericbeaumont]

surgical spirit

Contemporary alternative is isopropyl alcohol (aka isopropanol); surgical spirit is likely to leave residue which taints honey.

 

[user 20297]

Contemporary alternative is isopropyl alcohol (aka isopropanol); surgical spirit is likely to leave residue which taints honey.

...which sugar alone won't?

 

[Ian123]

Contemporary alternative is isopropyl alcohol (aka isopropanol); surgical spirit is likely to leave residue which taints honey.

Yes I’ve used the alcohol. Not sure about contemporary! it’s not carried by many chemists has got very rare at some points and costs more

 

[Earthboy]

Known as "Mountain Camp" method in US, one can pour regular granulated sugar over a newspaper or paper towel above the cluster. As the bees metabolic process generates moisture, the sugar will be softened with moisture for their easy consumption and then eventually harden like fondant, an excellent, cheap, easy way to save a colony. One can recycle any leftover sugar as you would any leftover fondant by re-melting it.

Unlike syrup, sugar will not attract as many robbers, as well. (possibly due to its almost imperceptible smell unlike liquid). I was once able to save a December cutout this way, which I had thought would be nigh impossible, by this method with heavy insulation.

My pic did not load right, sorry, but see my bees at both pollen patty and sugar this January.