Confusing email from NBU

[Monsieur Abeille]

Received this morning from the National Bee Unit:

After colonies have been treated, beekeepers should then reduce colony entrances and assess whether feeding needs to be carried out. Lift the roof off of the colony and heft the hive from each side of the brood box. If the colony has sufficient stores, then it should be difficult to lift. Each colony should have between 20-25 kg of stores for the winter.

If feeding needs to be carried out use either inverted sugar syrup or a 1:1 solution, i.e. 1kg of granulated white sugar: 650ml water.


I'm guessing this is a typo on their behalf? By my reckoning 1kg:650ml is close to 2:1, not 1:1 - or have I lost my mind (has been known to happen)

For any new bekeepers unsure - 2:1 (ie 2 lbs sugar to 1 pint water, or 1Kg to 500/650ml) is the correct ratio for sugar feed this time of year. 1:1 is for springtime.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No - i honestly believe they don't know their a*se from their elbow - it was either this year or last year that the pumped out their biennial 'starving bees' email and they werte advising on that to feed 2:1!