Change from fondant to liquid feed?

[Etton]

March BBKA news says if feeding switch from fondant to warm 50% syrup (1 kg white sugar to 1 litre water) . Helps feed bees rather than them storing fondant. Seems sensible, if needing to feed do experienced bee keepers agree?

 

[madasafish]

March BBKA news says if feeding switch from fondant to warm 50% syrup (1 kg white sugar to 1 litre water) . Helps feed bees rather than them storing fondant. Seems sensible, if needing to feed do experienced bee keepers agree?

I hate liquid feeding in spring. Frosts/cold nights mean rapid feeders don't work and other feeders often eject quantities of liquid into the hive when the feeder's contents expands as it warms up...


So I have stopped feeding liquid in spring. Pollen patties/fondant only..

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[Little John]

Totally agree. If I'm in any doubt, then I'd rather feed some damp-set sugar than sugar syrup. If they don't need it, they won't take it - then you can pull the container at a later date and make what's left into syrup. Less risk of giving the bees a syrup bath that way (if you use inverted jar feeders, as I do).
LJ

 

[oliver90owner]

Obviously nobody has thought of frame feeders?

 

[madasafish]

Obviously nobody has thought of frame feeders?

Never had problems with those in TBHs.

But in Langs, I get drowned bees. Same process, same floats, different results..

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Never had problems with those in TBHs.

But in Langs, I get drowned bees. Same process, same floats, different results..

I've glued some ripped up net bags of the type that supermarkets sell oranges in to the side of a frame feeder with very good results - up to then it was carnage.

Seem to recall RAB mentioning a few years back that water is helpful for brood rearing, so I've just given a weak sugar syrup to a colony that needed feeding

 

[Poly Hive]

The forecast is for about a week of cold rubbish weather.

Some careful thinking to be done before liquid feeding possibly?

I am keeping the fondant on mine.

PH

 

[drex]

I think we are to be spared the worst of the cold here in East Anglia, but have hedged my bets by using frame feeders, as I always do for liquid feed at this time of year.

 

[Chris B]

The forecast is for about a week of cold rubbish weather.

Weather forecast for week ahead much more relevant than an article written weeks ago. March can vary hugely from year to year. But unless they are truly desperate, I would be inclined to wait a week and give them syrup when a little warmer again.

 

[Little John]

It's been bl##dy cold here today and yesterday. (Day before that was glorious)
Forecast here for the next seven days (at least) is cold and windy - so I'm sticky to damp-set sugar, as and when the fondant jars are emptied. The problem with liquid feed (imo) regardless of the feeder type used, is that it can send out the wrong message - and I'd rather they didn't brood-up just yet.
LJ

 

[REDWOOD]

March BBKA news says if feeding switch from fondant to warm 50% syrup (1 kg white sugar to 1 litre water) . Helps feed bees rather than them storing fondant. Seems sensible, if needing to feed do experienced bee keepers agree?

If bees are hungry they will eat fondant and syrup
if the bees are not hungry they will store fondant and syrup

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . . warm 50% syrup . . . Helps feed bees rather than them storing fondant. . . . . do experienced bee keepers agree?

I was once told that;

"Experience, is what Experienced people call their mistakes"!

If bees are hungry they will eat fondant and syrup
if the bees are not hungry they will store fondant and syrup

+ anything "Warm" at lunchtime yesterday would have been frozen solid this morning if left outside.

 

[oliver90owner]

If bees are hungry they will eat fondant and syrup

A problem arises if they already have loads of brood due to previous feeding or good weather. No/restricted water for a week may spell the end to that brood. Not necessarily experience, more like sensible observation, or needing to think for oneself - not just following what some twit writes for some magazine.