bulk winter feeding

[ladaok]

Internal sugar / syrup, feeders are the norm here. So as you / I, expand hive #'s
more and more feeders are required to service these hives for little more than
4>5 months

I was lead to believe, that feeding outside the hive, promoted robbing in a multi hive apiary.

Re-thinking the idea, I'm sure it will work. I know from experience, that you can't feed just one hive in a multi hive apiary, you have to feed the lot, or you do seem to excite the rest. Picking the right time to feed, and having excess syrup available, maybe once all the drones are pushed out ??

 

[Erichalfbee]

When deciding if you can feed outside of the hive you have to consider how many other beekeepers there are too.
I live in rural Wales, even so there are 75 other apiaries registered on Beebase in a 10k radius of mine. Extrapolating, that would make at least 30 within flying distance of mine. feeding outside would be an absolute no no for me.

 

[Finman]

I was lead to believe, that feeding outside the hive, promoted robbing in a multi hive apiary.

Re-thinking the idea,

You just try. Life teaches very quickly.

 

[Little John]

It's certainly very tempting ...

Inspections demand most of my time, feeding comes a close second. My main concerns about bulk feeding are the unintended feeding of wasps and other people's bees. Other than those concerns, it could be a good idea. But - as I labour away for hour after hour, I keep reminding myself that the one good thing about individual feeding is that you do know that each colony is getting fed, and by how much.

I have toyed with the idea of arranging hives in groups of (say) 6 or 8, with a centralised 'syrup silo' (just the one 'filling point') for each group - with tubes running out to hives fitted with dispensers ... but, I think there would be far too many things which could go wrong with such a complex system.
LJ

 

[Finman]

.
We have 16 litre feeding boxes. Why heck the syrup should be outside!!

You always regret about wasps, for example.

Bees fight to each other enough when I beed them from boxes.

 

[Anduril]

Picking the right time to feed, and having excess syrup ??

Best to feed individual hives in the evening when bees have stopped flying, this reduces the risk of robbing.

 

[BMH]

When deciding if you can feed outside of the hive you have to consider how many other beekeepers there are too.
I live in rural Wales, even so there are 75 other apiaries registered on Beebase in a 10k radius of mine. Extrapolating, that would make at least 30 within flying distance of mine. feeding outside would be an absolute no no for me.

That's interpolation isn't it?

Also, is the maths right? I assume bees can only fly 5km max.

75 hives in 10k (squared) x 3.14 = 314km2

Interpolated on a 5km basis the area would fall to 5 x 5 x 3.14 = 78.5km

78/314 = 0.25

75 x 0.25 = 18.75

Sorry. I couldnt resist! Please dont be mad!

Regardless - you still wouldnt use open feeders!

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's interpolation isn't it?

Also, is the maths right? I assume bees can only fly 5km max.

75 hives in 10k (squared) x 3.14 = 314km2

Interpolated on a 5km basis the area would fall to 5 x 5 x 3.14 = 78.5km

78/314 = 0.25

75 x 0.25 = 18.75

Sorry. I couldnt resist! Please dont be mad!

Regardless - you still wouldnt use open feeders!

OK OK......hw many bees foraging free food from 18.75 hives then?

 

[BMH]

Like I said, I am sorry. I miss maths puzzles!

Even if there were 3 other hives it still wouldn't be a great idea.

18 hives and 3 nucs is the only sensible explanation. :O

 

[Finman]

.
When bees take syrup from feeder, and they cap the food, 24% out of sugar is consumed in process.

What do you think, how much they consume sugar, when they fly here and there like mad.

Bees fight even on water source and kill each others.
.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes...terrible.
People will be putting out spun super frames next!

 

[Poly Hive]

Ok I will stick my neck out.

If you don't like it tough.

I was taught to feed using frame feeders and top feeders and to stop robbing, note STOP ROBBING to have an outside feeder working too.

In an apiary of 50 odd colonies they took between five to ten gallons a day from the outside feeder and guess what people?

Never saw robbing once. Why would they, there were sweeties on the go for free...

Bring on the **** avalanche....

PH

 

[ladaok]

Ok I will stick my neck out.

If you don't like it tough.

I was taught to feed using frame feeders and top feeders and to stop robbing, note STOP ROBBING to have an outside feeder working too.

In an apiary of 50 odd colonies they took between five to ten gallons a day from the outside feeder and guess what people?

Never saw robbing once. Why would they, there were sweeties on the go for free...

Bring on the **** avalanche....

PH

Not from me you won't ! ... I believe a lot bee keeping anecdotes, are mmmmm almost myths. Well maybe not myths, as if you carry on regardless and unreasoned, the unfortunate will be saddled with the consequences, I told you so. But, certain reasoned and thoughtful modifications to a near disastrous technique, provides a totally acceptable outcome.

For instance, feeding just one or two colonies in a say 25 hive apiary, ... is asking for it. But if I spray a good dollop of strong sugar solution at every hive entrance, before I feed the others. seems to stop any robbing. could be just luck ! .... lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

I note your note polyhive
To stop robbing it works quite well

 

[alldigging]

Ok I will stick my neck out.

If you don't like it tough.

I was taught to feed using frame feeders and top feeders and to stop robbing, note STOP ROBBING to have an outside feeder working too.

In an apiary of 50 odd colonies they took between five to ten gallons a day from the outside feeder and guess what people?

Never saw robbing once. Why would they, there were sweeties on the go for free...

Bring on the **** avalanche....

PH

Because when the source of food runs out they'll be doing little round dances that'll indicate some good stuff is nearby and some bees might well then decide one of the hives that's just loaded up on the stuff you've given them, is the next source of it.

If it doesn't run out then they'd have no reason to go and look for anything else.

 

[Poly Hive]

Ah but that's the trick. If you give 5 gallons at a time it fairly keeps them going.

PH

 

[Nige.Coll]

Disease transfer would be one of my main concerns with open feeding. It would take 1 diseased feral colony to seriously ruin your day.

 

[user 6228]

Internal sugar / syrup, feeders are the norm here. So as you / I, expand hive #'s
more and more feeders are required to service these hives for little more than
4>5 months

I was lead to believe, that feeding outside the hive, promoted robbing in a multi hive apiary.

Re-thinking the idea, I'm sure it will work. I know from experience, that you can't feed just one hive in a multi hive apiary, you have to feed the lot, or you do seem to excite the rest. Picking the right time to feed, and having excess syrup available, maybe once all the drones are pushed out ??

Its certainly a way of increasing the probability of every hive within 2 miles having the same disease load.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Disease transfer would be one of my main concerns with open feeding. It would take 1 diseased feral colony to seriously ruin your day.

Exactly my concern!

 

[Swarm]

What about diseased drones entering your hives?