Feeding Bees?

[Richard60]

Hi

As with all of us the bees have been active with the good weather. Should I feed them with sugar syrup now???

 

[Murox]

Short answer = No

If they are short of stores feed them fondant, dry sugar/candy but not liquid feed yet. Don't be fooled by the weather or by the apparent numbers of bees, its only 2 March. If you get some 14C + days in the middle of the month maybe you can have a look inside.

 

[Ian123]

No harm in feeding now particularly if they are really light.. if we get a real cold snap then I would remove but that’s it and your in an area that should experience more milder conditions

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hi
As with all of us the bees have been active with the good weather. Should I feed them with sugar syrup now???

Only if they need it, sugar syrup is okay if it remains mild, like it has been for the past week or so, otherwise feed fondant.

 

[Poly Hive]

As I posted on another thread I found many of my colonies had finished or near finished what I gave them 10 days ago. There is the possibility of another colder spell ahead so personally, I am keeping them well fed.

I am feeding fondant I should say.

PH

 

[birdsandbees]

I was recently asked about feeding syrup by another beekeeper, I may be wrong but I said that IMO at this time only feed fondant, not only due to the lower temperatures forecast and overnight drops but I suggested that feeding syrup could mimic a flow and therefore potentially increase brood rearing more so than feeding fondant would, is so then unless they plan on an early spring honey crops I advised against it until at least the end of March.

 

[mike99]

I wish we had proper seasons. Last week the temperature was high teens and sunny and this week it's single figures, wind and rain. I have checked this morning and the Fondant is nearly cleared. I need to heft the BB and see how heavy it is as I don't have time to get another block of Fondant and insert it into the hive.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I need to heft the BB and see how heavy it is as I don't have time to get another block of Fondant and insert it into the hive.

So what happens if they need feeding?

 

[Poly Hive]

This is precisely the danger of getting too far ahead.

Take the hint we are still in Winter. The rain changed to snow at 11pm last night.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Take the hint we are still in Winter.

Yes we could still be still in winter right up until the middle of May... as there could be snow up until then, even more usual during April.

When is the start of spring.

 

[Millet]

Yes we could still be still in winter right up until the middle of May... as there could be snow up until then, even more usual during April.

When is the start of spring.

I have been helping a farmer do the lambing for the full month of April for several years now..the first two weeks always turn out the worst and snow is not uncommon on the high ground where the farm is.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have been helping a farmer do the lambing for the full month of April for several years now..the first two weeks always turn out the worst and snow is not uncommon on the high ground where the farm is.

Same here, including the lambing.

 

[Millet]

I wish we had proper seasons. Last week the temperature was high teens and sunny and this week it's single figures, wind and rain. I have checked this morning and the Fondant is nearly cleared. I need to heft the BB and see how heavy it is as I don't have time to get another block of Fondant and insert it into the hive.

Mike if they need feeding you have to feed them otherwise you have a good chance of loosing them..i always go overboard when ordering equipment so i do not run out of anything i still manage to run out of something though..however i never run out of fondant..i am down to my last 3kg now and i have more ordered which should be in the post today..you do not have to worry if you order too much as it lasts a couple of years if you keep it wrapped up in plastic bags.

 

[Finman]

.
I have fed syrup in spring so, that I have poured syrup into combs and then the comb inside the hive. If the hive needs much syrup, I have put several syrup combs into a box and the box under the wintering box. IT takes a week that bees lift syrup upstairs.

A hive should have at least minimum 5 kg food in spring. IT is two full langstroth frames.

 

[Beefriendly]

Current temps they are taking with light syrup.
I ran into the eke problem with Maismore nucs....so 1:1 was added and was wolfed down.

 

[Finman]

Current temps they are taking with light syrup.
I ran into the eke problem with Maismore nucs....so 1:1 was added and was wolfed down.

Ok, but notice that you give sugar kilos enough..

 

[mike99]

Mike if they need feeding you have to feed them otherwise you have a good chance of loosing them..i always go overboard when ordering equipment so i do not run out of anything i still manage to run out of something though..however i never run out of fondant..i am down to my last 3kg now and i have more ordered which should be in the post today..you do not have to worry if you order too much as it lasts a couple of years if you keep it wrapped up in plastic bags.

I totally agree with you Steve. The annoying thing is that they ignored it for a month and then started attacking it with gusto. I have put an order with Simon the Beekeeper in for some slabs of Fondant and other bits and pieces that I have decided I need. It should be here tomorrow.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Yes we could still be still in winter right up until the middle of May... as there could be snow up until then, even more usual during April.

When is the start of spring.

I find the following rhyme, courtesy of Flanders and Swann, quite useful:

​

January brings the snow,
Makes your feet and fingers glow.

February's ice and sleet,
Freeze the toes right off your feet.

Welcome, March, with wint'ry wind,
Would thou wert not so unkind.

April brings the sweet spring showers,
On and on for hours and hours.

Farmers fear unkindly May,
Frost by night and hail by day.

June just rains and never stops,
Thirty days and spoils the crops.

In July the sun is hot,
Is it shining? No it's not!

August, cold and dank and wet,
Brings more rain than any yet.

Bleak September's mist and mud,
Is enough to chill the blood.

Then October adds a gale,
Wind and slush and rain and hail.

Dark November brings the fog,
Should not do it to a dog.

Freezing wet December, then...
Bloody January again!

 

[citrus]

instead of fondant ...

basically i have an eke ...but no fondant

its mild here in sarf london ... so 1:1 syrup could be used

or would it better to use a frame or 3 of honey/comb saved from last year that wasnt extracted as it had apivar treatment

i could break the wax and stick it in an eke and let them use that ?

 

[Millet]

I totally agree with you Steve. The annoying thing is that they ignored it for a month and then started attacking it with gusto. I have put an order with Simon the Beekeeper in for some slabs of Fondant and other bits and pieces that I have decided I need. It should be here tomorrow.

If you are desperate and near Wynyard i can drop you 1kg of to get you over..