Autumn/Winter feeding

[Salamagundy]

I think that some of the reluctance to commit on that point may be due to the variability between bees.
Probably much better to look at what they're doing than to try and generalise about absolute measurements.

Sounds like good advice to me ITMA. Thanks for the post.

 

[Salamagundy]

Just got back after a power cut and the wireless broadband going down.

Many thanks for all your responses - this forum really is a great resource!

I'll whack on a lot more fondant just to be sure.

 

[Finman]

As a newbee I’ve been lurking on the forum for a while now,

1. I have read today that thymolating syrup prevents not only mould but also fermentation (yeast a fungus? Doh!)

high sugar content prevent molding

keep the feeding container clean. Pure syrup does not ferment or take mold.

give to bees only such amount that they suck it in two days.

Feed the hive full and in time that bees cap the food. Capped food does not ferment.

 

[Salamagundy]

high sugar content prevent molding

keep the feeding container clean. Pure syrup does not ferment or take mold.

give to bees only such amount that they suck it in two days.

Feed the hive full and in time that bees cap the food. Capped food does not ferment.

Thanks very much Finman.

I used VWP cleaner/steriliser to sterilise all the feeders, still got some mould but as you mention, that was after two days....

As a beginner I fed according to what the books told me, aiming to finish by the end of September/beginning of October. The bees stopped taking syrup and I stopped feeding, but they carried on foraging for another month or more and during that time I didn't feed. My hives are now very light. If the Autumn is warm again next season and the bees are still foraging in October and November I think I will feed for longer, as advised by other posts.

What do you think about adding thymol to the syrup? Apologies if this topic has been dealt with before. I'll do a search now.

OK - search revealed plenty of info. and views to keep me going!

 

[itma]

...
What do you think about adding thymol to the syrup? Apologies if this topic has been dealt with before. I'll do a search now.

Wrong order there!
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=49691&postcount=44
The orthodoxy here is that emulsifying the thymol into the syrup is an advantage - since on its own it is only sparingly soluble and will largely separate out. The thymol preserves the syrup, acts against Nosema (after Manley) and might possibly even be helpful against varroa (though that last has not yet been confirmed by academic research).

It has come up more than once or twice ...

 

[Cazza]

So far 3 - 1 then above crown board............
As for slab size I have 12 hives to feed and just cut a whole block into 12 lumps to start with, they fit quite nicely into my take away trays, top ups have been similar size.

I don't think it really matters which you do. Large or small lumps, above or below. As long as you do something IF it is required. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

Cazza

 

[Salamagundy]

Wrong order there!
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=49691&postcount=44
The orthodoxy here is that emulsifying the thymol into the syrup is an advantage - since on its own it is only sparingly soluble and will largely separate out. The thymol preserves the syrup, acts against Nosema (after Manley) and might possibly even be helpful against varroa (though that last has not yet been confirmed by academic research).

It has come up more than once or twice ...

Thanks itma. Mea culpa - won't do it again - promise. I'll disappear now to the archives. But I have to say I've been very grateful to all those who have taken the time to respond to what were probably naive newbee questions.

 

[Salamagundy]

I don't think it really matters which you do. Large or small lumps, above or below. As long as you do something IF it is required. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

Cazza

Thanks Cazza. That's reassuring and probably what I need to hear heading into my first Winter as a beek....

 

[Pete D]

So is that the end result
above the crown board 3
on the frames 1
score draw (either) 1

or are we into extra time...........

 

[RoofTops]

There is of course the whole issue of when to feed syrup, irrespective of what additives it has.

My beekeeping mentor used to start feeding his bees towards the end of August and try and be finished by early September.

The logic is this: the bees collect their main honey stores in July, this is what is going to take them through the winter. They will of course continue to forage until it gets too cold/dark/flowerless but the bees in their natural state will collect their winter stores a good month or so before most beekeepers will feed syrup and therefore, once you take the main honey crop off you should feed pretty soon thereafter.

The problem comes when the bees continue to forage well into September and if Himalayan Balsam is about, into October.

My solution is to give the bees a big enough brood chamber so I don't have to winter feed - they are left with enough stores they have collected themselves to see them through the winter. I learned this from a beefarmer using Jumbo Langstroth.

My heaviest hives are extremely heavy but one or two are a bit light so I would not say the experiment is a complete success yet - but the light hives had a late change of queen so I suspect that was the cause and therefore these colonies probably did need feeding with syrup.

 

[Salamagundy]

Thanks very much for that, Rooftops

My beekeeping mentor used to start feeding his bees towards the end of August and try and be finished by early September.

From what I have heard it used to be the same here until treatment for varroa had to be included. The advice I had was: take off any honey by the middle of August, treat for varroa until the middle of September and then feed after that, aiming to finish by the beginning of October at the latest.

The problem comes when the bees continue to forage well into September and if Himalayan Balsam is about, into October.

Yes, and mine were still piling in with pollen (from ivy?) in November.

My solution is to give the bees a big enough brood chamber so I don't have to winter feed - they are left with enough stores they have collected themselves to see them through the winter. I learned this from a beefarmer using Jumbo Langstroth.

My heaviest hives are extremely heavy but one or two are a bit light so I would not say the experiment is a complete success yet - but the light hives had a late change of queen so I suspect that was the cause and therefore these colonies probably did need feeding with syrup.

I've only got standard national broodboxes this year - more a function of the amount of equipment I have than a conscious decision not to increase the brood area, but I'm building up kit during the dark evenings and may try brood and a half next season if I manage to get them through the Winter. Good luck with yours!