Drought and Winter feeding

[Anduril]

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agric...ding-honey-bee-colonies-to-prevent-starvation
The official line. However feeding sugar syrup in winter can cause dysentery. Feeding syrup in the autumn while the forage is coming to an end and hefting the hives during the winter is the normal routine. The reason the Northern Hemisphere is feeding fondant is because of the humidity inside the hive keeping the fondant moist. Shop bought fondant has an anti-caking agent in it, so is not recommended. Wholesale fondant that bakers use is suitable as enrico has said. Damp sugar is very rarely used and is regarded as an emergency feed, what we would normally do with it is keep it in its paper packaging and cut holes in it.

 

[eltalia]

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agric...ding-honey-bee-colonies-to-prevent-starvation
The official line. However feeding sugar syrup in winter can cause dysentery. Feeding syrup in the autumn while the forage is coming to an end and hefting the hives during the winter is the normal routine. The reason the Northern Hemisphere is feeding fondant is because of the humidity inside the hive keeping the fondant moist. Shop bought fondant has an anti-caking agent in it, so is not recommended. Wholesale fondant that bakers use is suitable as enrico has said. Damp sugar is very rarely used and is regarded as an emergency feed, what we would normally do with it is keep it in its paper packaging and cut holes in it.

Helpfull tip on using international forums?
Be very very carefull using or relying on State sponsored b'kpn references
as it is well recognised here (.au) by those who know these are usually
today plagerism of USA origin like advices - a Country which owns it's own
unique approach to Apis.* husbandry. Brainstorming (word?) that repetition
concludes it is the outcome of a Public Service regime intent on ar5e covering
in not printing information the Department could be held accountable for,
financially.

Lollywater is well able to bring on dysentry anytime, just one facet of hazard
in using such around bees.
The humidity problems for USA apiarys - and dare I say many others outside
of the USA - is simple condensate levels, from mold to direct 'rain' inside
stacks - many just do not get "dewpoint" nevermind figuring how to prevent
respiratory heat impacts.

Help?

Bill

 

[Anduril]

Helpfull tip on using international forums?
Be very very carefull using or relying on State sponsored b'kpn references
as it is well recognised here (.au) by those who know these are usually
today plagerism of USA origin like advices - a Country which owns it's own
unique approach to Apis.* husbandry. Brainstorming (word?) that repetition
concludes it is the outcome of a Public Service regime intent on ar5e covering
in not printing information the Department could be held accountable for,
financially.

Lollywater is well able to bring on dysentry anytime, just one facet of hazard
in using such around bees.
The humidity problems for USA apiarys - and dare I say many others outside
of the USA - is simple condensate levels, from mold to direct 'rain' inside
stacks - many just do not get "dewpoint" nevermind figuring how to prevent
respiratory heat impacts.

Help?

Bill

Condensation dripping on the winter cluster. Humidity levels would be high feeding with sugar syrup in winter.

 

[Antipodes]

I read somewhere that adding ascorbic acid (vitamin c powder) to sugar syrup (thereby acidifying it to a PH closer to honey), can help reduce the likelihood of dysentery. Is there any truth to that I wonder?

I think about condensation dripping on the cluster. I'm wondering if this happens with a vinyl hive mat on top of the frames (between the frames and the lid)?

 

[eltalia]

I read somewhere that adding ascorbic acid (vitamin c powder) to sugar syrup (thereby acidifying it to a PH closer to honey), can help reduce the likelihood of dysentery. Is there any truth to that I wonder?

I think about condensation dripping on the cluster. I'm wondering if this happens with a vinyl hive mat on top of the frames (between the frames and the lid)?

Just don't feed lollywater and you have nothing to wonder about in invertase.

Tassie is having as rough a trot this year as we are up here, where even migratory
is not an option for you guys...but trust one thing, feeding lollywater is only going
to end in tears.
Even in this forum there are plenty seeing the effects, and blind to it it seems.

No, mats will not stop condensate... every beekeeper using boxes anywhere on
the planet has to own some understanding of dewpoint, respiratory heat
and "r factor" of housing materials. If not known, study these.

Bill

 

[Anduril]

I read somewhere that adding ascorbic acid (vitamin c powder) to sugar syrup (thereby acidifying it to a PH closer to honey), can help reduce the likelihood of dysentery. Is there any truth to that I wonder?

I think about condensation dripping on the cluster. I'm wondering if this happens with a vinyl hive mat on top of the frames (between the frames and the lid)?

After looking at a Jeff Heriot video, in the UK we don't use vinyl hive mats instead we use crownboards as standard, above that we use 50mm Kingspan which you have over in Australia. This will stop the condensation dripping down onto the brood and the use of fondant instead of sugar syrup for winter feeding. The Kingspan can be left on all year round.

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks all or the tips.

Vinyl mats are very common here and the standard set up is vinyl mat and often carpet on top of the mat and then a thin cover (mostly masonite) with galvanised steel over the masonite to help keep the masonite from rotting (if you don't paint the masonite on both sides it rots of course because it gets wet from the inside of the hive). I don't use the carpet but use foam board and also what is called foilboard here under the masonite and above the frames. It becomes part of the lid. The lid is "migratory". I got the idea of the polystyrene from UK beekeepers.

I lifted the lids on 4 hives the other day and there was a reasonable amount of water running off the polystyrene as I lifted the lids away. The vinyl mat appeared to be impervious and any water that ran from the lids as I lifted them off, and pooled on it. I had a quick look under one of the mats and didn't notice any water under it. Even though it is really cold and mid winter, there are E. globulous flowering (last happened in 2016) and even though there is a drought, the bees might be getting a little nectar from them. Parrots are working them. The nights can be very frosty with ice on the lids.

The biggest apiarists here are spending 200k on feeing this year. The lack of nectar really is unprecedented and one beekeeper who hasn't fed sugar ever (in over 70 years) fed for the first time this year. I should have fed more in autumn, but anyhow, that was why I was grateful for the fondant idea.

 

[eltalia]

After looking at a Jeff Heriot video, in the UK we don't use vinyl hive mats instead we use crownboards as standard, above that we use 50mm Kingspan which you have over in Australia. This will stop the condensation dripping down onto the brood and the use of fondant instead of sugar syrup for winter feeding. The Kingspan can be left on all year round.

Jeff is in the hinterlands of SE Qld, his special eccentricity allows many a faux pas
to be accomadated by the bees. A "good bloke" a lot of his retirement plan is built
around the Internet and those income potentials,
As Antipodes has noted, moisture builds are happening now, it will only get worse
as the solstice passes through, yet again for another year bees will die on the combs.
Sad situation.

Bill

 

[Murox]

I read somewhere that adding ascorbic acid (vitamin c powder) to sugar syrup (thereby acidifying it to a PH closer to honey), can help reduce the likelihood of dysentery. Is there any truth to that I wonder?

I think about condensation dripping on the cluster. I'm wondering if this happens with a vinyl hive mat on top of the frames (between the frames and the lid)?

have a quick read http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadNews.cfm?id=121

"Feeding is usually carried out when a honey bee colony is short of stores and there is no or little nectar flow. This often coincides with the removal of a honey crop but there are other times that it may be required."

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks Murox. Good information there and certainly nothing saying to add ascorbic acid.

On a different topic, would it be expected that some bees might pour out of the front of a hive in stinging mode if a hive was hefted? Mid winter here today when I did it.....cold and raining lightly at an apiary at highish altitude. Not cold enough to snow. No activity at all at the entrance in the middle of the day until I hefted it (I also quietly unscrewed some screws on the outside holding the base to the pallet before hefting).

Thanks.

 

[Anduril]

The vibrations of the unscrewing will have some bearing on their temperament.