Bad weather feeding for beginers?

[thedozzer]

With the currently crap weather and some saying that they are thinking of feeding, just for us beginners that are in our first full year, or don't have any experience of this, would imagine that they are not going to need the same amount as over wintering? but when should we start to think about feeding, is it just a case of going in the hive and seeing what they have?
We did an extraction last weekend but decided to leave our colonies with 4-5 uncapped frames in the supper each, each had at least one full frame of 14x12 of stores as well. do you think this will be enough?
they have now been hive bound for nearly 2 weeks apart from the odd day.

 

[Anasrzi]

With the currently crap weather and some saying that they are thinking of feeding, just for us beginners that are in our first full year, or don't have any experience of this, would imagine that they are not going to need the same amount as over wintering? but when should we start to think about feeding, is it just a case of going in the hive and seeing what they have?
We did an extraction last weekend but decided to leave our colonies with 4-5 uncapped frames in the supper each, each had at least one full frame of 14x12 of stores as well. do you think this will be enough?
they have now been hive bound for nearly 2 weeks apart from the odd day.

I'd be interested to know this also, I'm a beginner too and learning lots as I go (had my first colony just last week, everything seems fine except the rains every five minutes).

Been feeding mine sugar syrup at 250ml a time, once a day and there taking the lot quite nicely. Like yours, they have only had odd days out but no supers or frames of honey obviously yet.

 

[BernardBlack]

I’ve been feeding last few weeks. Honey stores not substantial, but growing.

They’re taking syrup on board, so I keep giving it until stores have built up.

Last year I had a Double brood and super. They had more than enough stores so didn’t feed them.

 

[Ian123]

Firstly none have ever killed a hive through over feeding so if in doubt stick a bucket on. Whilst I often think a little and often with feed is good for building nucs you are taking it to the extreme with 250ml a time, stick a few litres in n a bucket and be done for the week. Learn to judge the hive by hefting from the rear it will put you in good shape for winter checks. Other than that it’s observation during inspections.

 

[enrico]

Feeding this time of the year is even more if a challenge than winter feeding.
Personally I check their stores regularly. If you give them too much, as soon as a flow starts they will mix it with the syrup. I don't want syrup in my honey.
In preference I leave them with a few frames of spring honey. It can always come off later in the year.
The only hives I feed are young hives I am building up where I am unlikely to be taking honey this year.
But..,.if I have miscalculated and they are starving then syrup is a must.
E

 

[ShinySideUp]

I fed a newly-housed swarm yesterday and had quick check in today without bee suit and they have not bothered with the feed at all. I can see them down through the transparent feed holes (I'm using a jumbo feeder) and they are not bothering even to come up for a look which is quite odd. Perhaps they don't need to be fed afterall. I might dribble a bit down tomorrow but really I can't believe they don't know it's there.

 

[thedozzer]

Feeding this time of the year is even more if a challenge than winter feeding.
Personally I check their stores regularly. If you give them too much, as soon as a flow starts they will mix it with the syrup. I don't want syrup in my honey.
In preference I leave them with a few frames of spring honey. It can always come off later in the year.
The only hives I feed are young hives I am building up where I am unlikely to be taking honey this year.
But..,.if I have miscalculated and they are starving then syrup is a must.
E

Hi Enrico
thanks for that, getting syrup in the honey is what we were concerned with, but not sure how little stores you leave them with before we need to feed.

don't want them to starve, but they were brining in pollen in the rain!

 

[Ian123]

I fed a newly-housed swarm yesterday and had quick check in today without bee suit and they have not bothered with the feed at all. I can see them down through the transparent feed holes (I'm using a jumbo feeder) and they are not bothering even to come up for a look which is quite odd. Perhaps they don't need to be fed afterall. I might dribble a bit down tomorrow but really I can't believe they don't know it's there.

Dribble some down I bet they come up!!

 

[ShinySideUp]

It was midnight plus 25 minutes and I'm thinking about the bees and whether they can sense the sugar syrup.

Now it's midnight plus 40 minutes and I have been and trickled some syrup down from the top. By the time I had trickled into the second transparent cone, the bees had already come up into the first one! Just a matter of a few seconds and they were at it. Just goes to show that the hive mentality works for a lot of situations but if they had had just one innovator they would have been at the syrup yesterday morning. Lesson learned by me.