bit of advice appreciated on feeding options

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milkermel

Field Bee
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
768
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20
Location
left of launceston right of bude!
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
6
I have only used rapid feeders so far, however I have just collected a swarm from where I work and am a bit lacking on space, ie I have managed to make a temporary hive out of a few things I had, but dont have crown board so difficult to use feeder, ( could i just put the rapid feeder on top of frames? or will my girls do what i think and abandon the frames for the extra roof space??

Should be getting new hive in a few weeks hopefully but dont want the girls to starve in the mean time!!!
 
could you not just cobble a crown board together from a bit of ply?

all it needs is a hole cut in the centre for the feeder to sit over and it doesn't really matter that much how thick the ply is, as it's only a temporary fix.....
 
:banghead: some times i am just soooooo thick!!! someone else just suggested that as well!! Know what my hubby will be doing when he comes home from work!!! (he finishes before me and i will be making tea before any comments come in about me getting on with it!!!)

Sometimes i just look for tooo complicated a solution!
 
Milker Mel,

Prime swarm?

Do you know long were they hanging around before collection?

If 'not long', I would not bother with feeding, if there is a flow.

They will have enough to draw comb, will be foraging and, with no brood to feed (or only tiny larvae) for about a week, should bring in far more nectar than needed.

Naturally, swarms have neither feed nor foundation supplied as a head start....OK, some starve but they wouldn't have you checking on them.

Go on, stop worrying. Monitor them by all means, but I doubt they starve.

Regards, RAB
 
Milker Mel,

Prime swarm?

Do you know long were they hanging around before collection?

If 'not long', I would not bother with feeding, if there is a flow.

They will have enough to draw comb, will be foraging and, with no brood to feed (or only tiny larvae) for about a week, should bring in far more nectar than needed.

Naturally, swarms have neither feed nor foundation supplied as a head start....OK, some starve but they wouldn't have you checking on them.

Go on, stop worrying. Monitor them by all means, but I doubt they starve.

Regards, RAB

:iagree: but if they do need it, get hubby's ass out into the shed!! :rofl:
 
I have a swarm (from my own hive :blush5::blush5: ) hived last monday.
I am feeding as it has hardly stopped raining since then.
They are in temporary accommodation too but I have bought a luxury Nuc hive from Tom Bick for them :biggrinjester:
 
You could dip a bag of sugar in water for 3 seconds then make 2 small tears in it with your hive tool and sit it on top of the frames.
 
You could also just place a square of polythene sheet over the frames with a hole for your feeder.
 
You could also just place a square of polythene sheet over the frames with a hole for your feeder.

i have made emergency hive ( 14x12) for a swarm out of three bits of 25x25 timber for floor sides and back, ,two supers as a 14x12 brood box and a sheet of cardboard covered in a dustinbin bag for the roof/crown board...tied togther with bailling twine...the bees thought it was great and biult on the foundation like billy oh...the dustin liner also stopped them biulding wild comb from the temp roof...the wax did not stick..

i had to keep them there for three weeks, no problem
 
well I found the queen today and she is unmarked . . . . Virgin Queen yipee! then thought about it again! swarm was on 9th 3 drawn combes about 8" ish. when i was sorting everything into the hive I wasnt sure if I had the queen, but found eggs on the combe . . . . so not a virgin queen as there were also small grubs just filling the bottom of cells.

Well she is marked blue . only colour I had and wasnt letting her get away!!

Cant wait for Hivemaker to finish my hives then they wont have to make do and mend!!

At least they will be in luxury when they are done!

Reason I am worried and want to feed is that I put a super in as most of the drawn combe was not worth saving (bull in china shop technique) the super in 2 days has been emptied by them.

Will maybe sit tight for a couple of days and let them settle again!

many thanks one and all . . . AND HIVEMAKER stop playing on the computer and get building!!!:p
 
i have made emergency hive ( 14x12) for a swarm out of three bits of 25x25 timber for floor sides and back, ,two supers as a 14x12 brood box and a sheet of cardboard covered in a dustinbin bag for the roof/crown board...tied togther with bailling twine...the bees thought it was great and biult on the foundation like billy oh...the dustin liner also stopped them biulding wild comb from the temp roof...the wax did not stick..

i had to keep them there for three weeks, no problem

You are an undercover Blue Peter presenter and I claim my five pounds :D
 

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