can a small colony be overfed

[stoneleighhouse]

Small colony late July swarm couple of frames of brood ,already taken a gallon of 1:1 syrup in 4 days can they be over fed?

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes the syrup can block the comb and reduce the queens laying space. Feeding a small colony is a balancing game when you want to build them up.

 

[Polyanwood]

Yes. If you overfeed there can be not enough room for the queen to lay so then you don't get the Winter bees you need right now. If they are a swarmy strain you could even force them into swarm mode.

 

[Finman]

.
2 frames brood.....sounds not good....
It has time to make 2 frames more,but you must restrict the room to 4 frames and wait that bees emerge and rear winter brood.

The hive must be warm and ventilation hole about 1x3 cm. No mesh floor open
.

 

[Into the lions den]

At this time of year, if there is insufficient nectar coming in, the best way to stimulate a small colony to grow is to feed it a litre a week. The message to feed them till they will not take any more leads to plugged out boxes (when 12 to 15Kg of stores is usually adequate in the UK) and not enough young bees for winter.

If the small colony look likely to become plugged then drop an empty comb into the middle of the broodnest for the queen to lay in. Until the end of Sept ( in the regular feeding scenario only) it is ok for the comb you drop in to be foundation, which will then be drawn perfectly.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the small colony look likely to become plugged then drop an empty comb into the middle of the broodnest for the queen to lay in. Until the end of Sept ( in the regular feeding scenario only) it is ok for the comb you drop in to be foundation, which will then be drawn perfectly.

I'll second that.
ITLD gave tis advice last year.
I popped a frame of foundation into the middle of two colonies and it was drawn and laid up in a trice

 

[Poly Hive]

Listen to ITLD.

PH

 

[m100]

I'll second that.
ITLD gave tis advice last year.
I popped a frame of foundation into the middle of two colonies and it was drawn and laid up in a trice

Emphasis on colony. I've done it on hives that were heaving with bees and they drew the comb very rapidly. Do the same to a nuc and chances are they will do nothing with the comb except chew holes in it.

 

[Into the lions den]

Emphasis on colony. I've done it on hives that were heaving with bees and they drew the comb very rapidly. Do the same to a nuc and chances are they will do nothing with the comb except chew holes in it.

I did it with 100 nucs on Friday. One bar of foundation moved into the middle between two brood combs at the same time as they got their next litre of syrup. Needed a couple of the nucs to take to the moors to drop into a couple of known queenlesses. New comb 75% drawn already and had eggs over about a third of the area. Tuesday am.........................so 4 days.

 

[Erichalfbee]

ITLD
Do you think moving that one frame into the middle of a nuc brood would work if you were treating with thymol providing the bees are fed?
I know thymol can stop a queen laying but it's never happened to me.
I have two colonies that still have two and three undrawn frames in the box. They are on 14x12.

 

[Mellifera397]

I did this with my small colony that is was on 7 frames but since putting a frame of foundation in the centre yesterday are on 8 as they have drawn it out fully and the queen has started laying

 

[Into the lions den]

ITLD
Do you think moving that one frame into the middle of a nuc brood would work if you were treating with thymol providing the bees are fed?
I know thymol can stop a queen laying but it's never happened to me.
I have two colonies that still have two and three undrawn frames in the box. They are on 14x12.

I'm sorry but I have no direct personal experience of thymol and this situation. I have no reason to suspect they will be badly affected by it, but would have to say it was a 'suck it and see' situation.

 

[Into the lions den]

I did this with my small colony that is was on 7 frames but since putting a frame of foundation in the centre yesterday are on 8 as they have drawn it out fully and the queen has started laying

Not surprised..............and guess what..you can do it again..and again...........give it few days each time, until they have larvae in the comb, and you can do a really good comb rotation in September.

 

[Mellifera397]

Thanks ITLD this worked so well for me!!!! Ive mentioned it on my blog as well because it is a fantastic idea

 

[oliver90owner]

but would have to say it was a 'suck it and see' situation

It is no problem as long as the queen is still laying. If she is put 'off-lay' by the treatment, there is more risk of supercedure cells being built, I would think. So some care and thought is needed rather than just jumping in and doing it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks ITLD
and
Thanks RAB. Last year I had finished my Thymol Tx by mid September but this year, having moved the bees to somewhere warmer and with later forage, I haven't even started it.
I might introduce the frames, wait a few days, then start mite Tx. That seems to me a possible compromise.
Weather looks good enough tomorrow and a week or so later.