Check your feed, please . . . .

[Headnavigator]

Despite the cold and the unremitting drizzle I just went to make a cursory check on my bees. I put fondant on a couple of days ago and I find it almost completely gone today, only a tiny smidgin left. I had put on almost as much as they used during the entire Winter so pretty shocked that they have taken it all. I dread to think what tomorrow would have brought had I not checked. Please be warned, I think the colonies have expanded fast and now they need a lot of support.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They take fondant down and store it in the combs quite fast at this time of year.

 

[Gardenbees]

Quite right: my largest colony is cleaning out a 4-pint feeder every two days and has done for a week now.... the others manage 2 feeders a week. Today some of the big colony had their tongues stuck in the mesh from the effort of hoovering up the last few drops. I refilled hastily, but it's easy to get caught out and leave it a day too long.

It's expensive on sugar. But not for much longer I hope.

 

[Headnavigator]

They take fondant down and store it in the combs quite fast at this time of year.

Ah - as soon as the temperature permits I shall have a look, thanks HM. I've been under the misapprehension that syrup gets stored, fondant gets used as required, but obviously wrong! I'm happy if they're storing it, that leaves a little more leeway. Last inspection there were no stores in the brood box at all.

 

[psafloyd]

Not fed mine, yet, but will be checking to see how little of the supers is left after all this poor weather.

 

[wightbees]

I dont know who's more fed up with the weather.Me or the bees.
Just got back from giving them some food, hoping for a warm spell soon to see how a couple of splits have gone.

 

[tonybloke]

mine are actually processing some nectar into honey!!
(not fed since August, and then only 1/2 gallon syrup)

 

[beehive1234]

Had a quick check in the hive I bought in March. WBC with Brood box and Super. There is honey in the Super but a lot of it is BLACK. Is this black honey any good for the bees? Please could you advise me what to do with it if it isn't OK for them?

 

[tonybloke]

Had a quick check in the hive I bought in March. WBC with Brood box and Super. There is honey in the Super but a lot of it is BLACK. Is this black honey any good for the bees? Please could you advise me what to do with it if it isn't OK for them?

it must be good for them, or they wouldn't have stored it!!

 

[wightbees]

Might be tasty,try some.

 

[enrico]

Isn't sycamore nectar very dark?j Could be wrong

 

[wightbees]

Honeydew ?

 

[BBG]

it must be good for them, or they wouldn't have stored it!!

Would have agreed with that to a certain point but as the bees are 'stupid' enough to swarm/cast and stay out in the open while it's 8/9C AND raining, I don't think they necessarily 'know' best any more.

Ditto 'balling' their Queen and then fretting about it etc etc.

 

[Ely]

I've been giving mine the odd frame of last years Ivy honey. Don't seem to be eating much destpite rubbish weather

 

[Headnavigator]

Update: they've been taking fondant like there's no tomorrow. This after noon the rain paused and I was finally able to do an inspection.

There was no fondant stored at all. There were no stores at all in the brood box, though plenty of eggs and brood at all stages. A very little syrup/honey in the super, rather less than one super frame full if it had all been put together. Some pollen in the super frames. Bursting with bees.

This leads me to believe that their situation has been/is critical and without the fondant they would not be alive. Seems they do use rather than store it.

The low state of stores is not through lack of effort on their part, every time the sky lightens a little it becomes thick with bees hurtling out and back.

I despair of this weather, let's hope this break today is the beginning of the end of it. Poor creatures. They deserve some warmth and sun!

Off to make yet another batch of fondant.

 

[drstitson]

"I've been giving mine the odd frame of last years Ivy honey. Don't seem to be eating much destpite rubbish weather"

have you tried wetting it like finman recommends?

 

[Erichalfbee]

every time the sky lightens a little it becomes thick with bees hurtling out and back.

Same here.
Should manage to get in tomorrow afternoon and I'll be ready with some Neopoll I have to use up.
This weather is dire. Long range forecast (accuweather has been surprisingly accurate of late) has rain for next 25 days with only the odd day's respite.
Hawthorn is just coming in just in time for a diluvian battering.

Oh well, at least most of the drought areas have gone......bring out your hosepipes!

 

[oliver90owner]

It will depend on how much open brood they have. Think winter cluster, just to keep the cluster warm uses relatively less than the spring expansion. Yes, there are more bees now, but they are perhaps easier at keeping warm as heat loss is a bit less than back in the winter when ambient was closer to zero or below for long periods. Amount of brood may be limited by available protein (all winter stores gone in March!).

RAB