Feeding in march

[Fazer]

Hi quick question
One of my hives as just about finished the fondant I put on before Christmas ……..
Should I add more now or not?
Im in West Yorkshire if that helps
Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have you hefted the hive? do they need extra feeding?

 

[enrico]

Feeding is an art. Ideally you want the bees to run out of food the day a flow starts! Only you can say if 1) they need more food. 2) a source of nectar is imminent! It is a difficult guessing game but if in doubt then excess food won't kill them whereas starvation will!

 

[Fazer]

Thanks for the replies
More food it is then
I did heft but still not sure!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yeah, stuff the hive full of sugar stores, be mindful this will end up in the honey supers if you get it wrong.
Also, a hive full of stores in spring will mean early swarming

 

[Mint Bee]

Beginners section......

I would always feed if unsure and deal with the consequences later on. Finding a hive full of bees dead in the act of scraping the last remaining food out of the comb is depressing and unnecessary. during first inspection if hives have lots of capped stores and its restricting brood expansion, replace the capped frames with drawn frames / foundation and use the stores for nucs or feeding back later in the season.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks for the replies
More food it is then
I did heft but still not sure!!

Could you see any stores in the frames looking down between frames etc?
I fed some yesterday that were hefting light bigger colonys 2kgs smaller 1kgs of fondant straight ontop of the top bars rolled out , no need to feed huge amounts.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beginners section

exactly - so to just advising to pile on the food and be d-ed is not helping much, unless you at least point out the pitfalls.
Watching a swarm depart over the horizon before you've had a chance to inspect properly is also a pretty depressing. experience.
Unless the hive is feather light, good chance they're OK, using the three finger guide is always a good start to learning how to heft.
If you can lift the hive from the back easily with only one finger - they're light on stores
Two fingers - they're OK but keep a close eye
three fingers or more and they are fine.

 

[Mint Bee]

fair comment, I just didn't think the sarcasm was needed when you could have explained what you have just put in the post above? Save the wit for the old timers and those that really deserve it

 

[BoStor]

I understand that generally Buckfasts need more feeding than black AMM bees, is that agreed?

 

[elainemary]

yeah, stuff the hive full of sugar stores, be mindful this will end up in the honey supers if you get it wrong.
Also, a hive full of stores in spring will mean early swarming

Is that because there's limited space for the queen to lay? Or, a signal to the colony they're well covered for stores, so now's the time to reproduce? If no space for the queen to lay though will there be enough new nurse bees coming through to swarm early, if stores are taking all the space?

Just wondering why...You'll know from experience of seeing it happen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If no space for the queen to lay though will there be enough new nurse bees coming through to swarm early

They'll swarm regardless of whether they have enough nurse bees, if there's not enough room to store more, again they'll think of swarming

 

[Ian123]

I understand that generally Buckfasts need more feeding than black AMM bees, is that agreed?

AMM are said to be frugal, probably more to the point bigger colonies will require more food.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They'll swarm regardless of whether they have enough nurse bees

Yes. Even with 50 bees

 

[elainemary]

They'll swarm regardless of whether they have enough nurse bees, if there's not enough room to store more, again they'll think of swarming

Thanks, makes a lot of sense.
I need to keep ahead of them but a bit early yet. V cold at night and no evidence from varroa tray they’re got meaningful brood at home. Different story down in the valley.

 

[user 819]

If needing to feed, feed little and often with fondant and check the colony every 3 - 4 days. Place 1.5kg on and see if it disappears but as JBK use the heft method minus the heavy roof and judge how easy the rear of the hive lifts a couple of cm, very easy to lift and hive feels feathery light they will be in trouble, lifts without easy but needs two fingers weight not to bad and lifts with two or three fingers and feels like a brick then stores are heavy.

 

[Brian Bush]

exactly - so to just advising to pile on the food and be d-ed is not helping much, unless you at least point out the pitfalls.
Watching a swarm depart over the horizon before you've had a chance to inspect properly is also a pretty depressing. experience.
Unless the hive is feather light, good chance they're OK, using the three finger guide is always a good start to learning how to heft.
If you can lift the hive from the back easily with only one finger - they're light on stores
Two fingers - they're OK but keep a close eye
three fingers or more and they are fine.

That's a better explanation JBM

 

[elainemary]

If needing to feed, feed little and often with fondant and check the colony every 3 - 4 days. Place 1.5kg on and see if it disappears but as JBK use the heft method minus the heavy roof and judge how easy the rear of the hive lifts a couple of cm, very easy to lift and hive feels feathery light they will be in trouble, lifts without easy but needs two fingers weight not to bad and lifts with two or three fingers and feels like a brick then stores are heavy.

Murray McGregor at our recent webinar gave advice about adding fondant that struck a cord with me (context was for top up / emergencies). He said don’t give fondant little and often, give a good amount. His argument was every time you add a small amount you disturb the bees and they’re better left alone. Just thought I’d share as an alternative view

 

[Boston Bees]

Murray McGregor at our recent webinar gave advice about adding fondant that struck a cord with me (context was for top up / emergencies). He said don’t give fondant little and often, give a good amount. His argument was every time you add a small amount you disturb the bees and they’re better left alone. Just thought I’d share as an alternative view

I think maybe he was referring to autumn/winter feeding of fondant (?), but he can speak for himself I guess, so I'll shut up!

 

[elainemary]

I think maybe he was referring to autumn/winter feeding of fondant, but he can speak for himself I guess, so I'll shut up!

Yes it was the guy wasn’t it who wanted to become a commercial beekeeper, but I did take the message overall it’s best not to disturb the bees. He said he doesn’t go in / disturb til April.