Do you stop feeding ?

[B Special]

Questions, questions, questions. Still feeding sugar syrup which is being snapped up very quickly. Do you keep feeding till they stop taking it down ? What's the opinion out there ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I like to get feeding done and dusted by the end of October but that is really just a guideline. It's all weather dependant. I have fed very little this year as there has been good forage. I did put the feeders on a fortnight ago to try to get some thymol into the stores but two colonies haven't touched it. All but one of the feeders came off today and the remaining one will be off tomorrow....it's going to get cold in a few days. Time for bed....said zebedee

 

[REDWOOD]

The only colonies that took syrup were in nucs, when they cant cram any more in they will stop taking it down, we are lucky this year that we have mild weather for this time of year.

 

[itma]

Questions, questions, questions. Still feeding sugar syrup which is being snapped up very quickly. Do you keep feeding till they stop taking it down ? What's the opinion out there ?

The idea of feeding is to boost their stores to 20kg/40lb (ish) per hive.
That equates to 8 national/wbc brood frames (DN) filled both sides with capped stores.

Excess remaining unused in the Spring can be a different sort of problem - increasing the risk of early swarming.

Especially if you have brood and a half, double brood or 14x12 (all possible with WBC) then you don't need to stuff the thing absolutely full - but with only a single (10-frame) WBC brood it does need to be pretty damn full.

I'd get the lifts off (while the weather is so mild) and have a feel for how close it is to feeling "nailed down".


Its getting late in the season for feeding plain sugar syrup. It needs a lot of water removed to keep it from fermenting. Fermented stores risk dysentery, which would spread disease throughout the hive.

 

[Arfermo]

The problem I have found is that, because the weather is still so kind with only a wealth of ivy for foraging atm, it has meant stores are being consumed whilst the ivy stores is mostly crystallised in the frames. So, to save the bees from themselves I am feeding as much Ambrosia syrup as they will take.

 

[Cazza]

The problem I have found is that, because the weather is still so kind with only a wealth of ivy for foraging atm, it has meant stores are being consumed whilst the ivy stores is mostly crystallised in the frames. So, to save the bees from themselves I am feeding as much Ambrosia syrup as they will take.

I am taking the alternative approach and have not fed at all, relying on the bees to look after themselves. This would not be an abnormal action for me. My bees make it through the winter in fine fettle so I have no qualms about ivy stores.
Cazza

 

[Apple]

I am with Eric1/2B on this one!
I am too feeding thymolated 2:1 syrup to my WBC occupants.
The feeders will come off before November 5th and the syrup stored ( in freezer) as it is thymolated it should not ferment, diluted I use this in the Spring as a booster for the overwintered nucs.
The colonies that have not even taken a sniff of the feed in rapid feeders will get a block of candy over the feedhole.

Needs to be said I can never seem to get my bees to take in 20kg of sugar!
10kg at most, my sister however with different variety of bees feeds 18kg+!

Once again , it all depends!

James

 

[itma]

Its not about feeding 20kg.

Its about ensuring that they have 20kg (or thereabouts) stored away and only feeding, if needed, to boost them to that target level.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I like to get feeding done and dusted by the end of October but that is really just a guideline. It's all weather dependant. I have fed very little this year as there has been good forage.

It's weather dependent and also depends on the amount they've stored for themselves so it's a bit of a balancing act.

This year has been good for them, in this area at least, but there's very little natural forage now because ivy is long finished and there's only a smattering of late autumn flowering plants they can use. Aster (Michaelmas Daisy) can be useful, perhaps? There are a few patches on waste ground.

If a colony needs, say, 20kg to get through from autumn to spring then it isn't likely to still have 20kg of stores at the end of November. The amount of stores will go down constantly throughout the colder months. It's meant to work that way, so that when brood rearing starts in earnest there's space for the queen to lay as well as space for new season's stores of both nectar and pollen.

The time to be wary is early spring, especially if it's too wet or too cold for them to get out, when they may need a top up feed (fondant if it's a cold spring) to get them through until it's warmer and dryer, or pollen substitute to boost brood raising if near OSR - if there is any next year!

Overfeeding, or trying to maintain the 20kg throughout the winter, is likely to mean early season's honey will be tainted with sugar.

 

[Dishmop]

Questions, questions, questions. Still feeding sugar syrup which is being snapped up very quickly. Do you keep feeding till they stop taking it down ? What's the opinion out there ?

I've never started!!!!!

 

[protheroe]

fed my hives on the mountain due to lack of forage after heather but the other apiaries didnt need it.

 

[Apple]

Its not about feeding 20kg.

Its about ensuring that they have 20kg (or thereabouts) stored away and only feeding, if needed, to boost them to that target level.

I do so wish all the many authors of beekeeping books would cut and paste the above information into their tomes!
However it does seem to depend upon a number of factors, type of bee, location, type of hive etc etc!!!


James

 

[little_john]

The problem I have found is that, because the weather is still so kind with only a wealth of ivy for foraging atm, it has meant stores are being consumed whilst the ivy stores is mostly crystallised in the frames. So, to save the bees from themselves I am feeding as much Ambrosia syrup as they will take.

That's the problem - their stores are being depleted each and every warm day. Mine are still bringing in pollen by the shed-load, but precious little else. I've resorted to giving a pint of 2:1 once a week just to keep 'em 'topped-up' - it's being taken-down during one night which bodes well, but it's still something of a balancing act. Apparently the weather will be changing back to normal levels next week, so this will no longer be an issue.

LJ

 

[madasafish]

That's the problem - their stores are being depleted each and every warm day. Mine are still bringing in pollen by the shed-load, but precious little else. I've resorted to giving a pint of 2:1 once a week just to keep 'em 'topped-up' - it's being taken-down during one night which bodes well, but it's still something of a balancing act. Apparently the weather will be changing back to normal levels next week, so this will no longer be an issue.

LJ

Which just shows how advice can be strictly localised as the UK climate varies so much by location.

Bees still gathering pollen here and the ivy is still flowering..

(A point which good beekeeping books and writers emphasise...)

 

[B Special]

Many thanks for the info folks.