Feeding in October

[Will C]

Hello,
I’m a second year new keeper with two rural hives in UK looking for advice.

Am I able to still feed thick syrup in next week or so or should I be switching to fondant?

The bees have a super each for winter but I want to ensure they’re topped up. The weather is not too cold yet.

I’m planning to set them up for winter this week, under-super, perspex crown boards, mouse guards etc.

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have you been feeding up until now? are the supers full of stores? if so they don't need any further feeding.
It's also too late to nadir the shallows so just remove the queen excluders and leave the supers where they are.
It would also help people trying to give you advice if you updated your profile to tell us where you are in Britain

 

[Will C]

have you been feeding up until now? are the supers full of stores? if so they don't need any further feeding.
It's also too late to nadir the shallows so just remove the queen excluders and leave the supers where they are.
It would also help people trying to give you advice if you updated your profile to tell us where you are in Britain

 

[Will C]

Hello, I’m in Berkshire.
Our mentor sort of took his hands off since summer so they’ve only had their natural forage / honey. I’m now managing the hives myself. The supers are nice and full, but as they’re not been fed I’m concerned they need a top up.
My smaller hive is ready for winter but my bigger hive is still set up in normal way( minus our share of honey which I took off last week).

 

[ericbeaumont]

two rural hives in UK

Ah! Berkshire!! Does depend where you are, Will, because what works in Plymouth is unlikely to do so in Perth.

smaller hive is ready for winter but my bigger hive

I guess you mean smaller and bigger colony, but what do you mean by smaller and bigger? If they're both on (I guess) one National BB+super, how full of bees are each box of each colony?

Agree with JBM: current set-up will need no feed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

if the supers are full they don't need feeding, just remove the queen excluders and leave them in the current configuration.

 

[Will C]

Ah! Berkshire!! Does depend where you are, Will, because what works in Plymouth is unlikely to do so in Perth.


I guess you mean smaller and bigger colony, but what do you mean by smaller and bigger? If they're both on (I guess) one National BB+super, how full of bees are each box of each colony?

Agree with JBM: current set-up will need no feed.

The smaller hive has had 4 queens since spring, and depleted but is now very strong. Our other hive had two supers as the hive was very busy. Both are now down to one Bb, 1 super. Though colony is larger in hive 2.
I’m tempted to give 1 k syrup to each as they’re not been fed at all? Would this be a problem as I’m wanting to ensure they have food. I also have two packs of fondant ready to place.

 

[Will C]

if the supers are full they don't need feeding, just remove the queen excluders and leave them in the current configuration.

Isn’t it warmer for them if they’re under supered?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The smaller hive has had 4 queens since spring,

sorry, can you explain?

I’m tempted to give 1 k syrup to each as they’re not been fed at all?

but they don't need to be fed - and feeding in dribs and drabs is never the answer anyway

as I’m wanting to ensure they have food.

they have got food - a whole shallow full plus what they will have stashe behind and to each side of the brood cluster

I also have two packs of fondant ready to place.

They won't be needing that for a long time - if at all!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Isn’t it warmer for them if they’re under supered?

not really, if it was done earlier (at least a month and a half ago) they would have had a chance to rearrange all the stores which you have just messed about, although that is a big ask with a whole super full. Doing it at this time of the year is just going to end up with the stores being split with a little above and around the cluster, with this setup, there is always the danger of isolation starvation if we get hit with a really cold snap just when the cluster is clearing up the last of the top stores, and they are then unable to make the long trek to the nadired shallow.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The test for winter weight is to lift up the hive an inch with one hand at the back under the floor. Easy, or does it feel nailed down? Repeat fortnightly during winter and add a fondant block if you're worried. The time to be aware of dropping weight is when brood raising starts in early Spring.

colony is larger in hive 2

Better way to convey colony strength is to give the number of frames covered with bees (now) or the number of combs with bees & brood (in season). If all frames are covered in bees and the boxes full, then no need to for concern, but that cannot be so as you have two colonies of different strengths in the same size hive.

A flexible approach is more apppropriate when deciding how to set up a colony for winter. For example, if the smaller colony is on 7 or 8f of bees it would be far better to put the best 6 combs and all the bees into a 6f poly nuc. On the other hand, if the stronger colony has a full BB of bees, just remove the QX and leave them to it.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Isn’t it warmer for them if they’re under supered?

In principle, yes, because the colony will then sit in the warmest part of the hive under a sealed & insulated CB, but it is too late in the year to expect a diminishing colony to go down and clear a full super upstairs, and there is no guarantee that this warm weather will persist long enough to allow them to move to it.

 

[Will C]

In principle, yes, because the colony will then sit in the warmest part of the hive under a sealed & insulated CB, but it is too late in the year to expect a diminishing colony to go down and clear a full super upstairs, and there is no guarantee that this warm weather will persist long enough to allow them to move to it.

Thank you

 

[Will C]

sorry, can you explain?

but they don't need to be fed - and feeding in dribs and drabs is never the answer anyway

they have got food - a whole shallow full plus what they will have stashe behind and to each side of the brood cluster

They won't be needing that for a long time - if at all!

3 queens swarmed since spring. They were requeened in July. Now happy and full of all stages. A healthy colony.

 

[Will C]

In principle, yes, because the colony will then sit in the warmest part of the hive under a sealed & insulated CB, but it is too late in the year to expect a diminishing colony to go down and clear a full super upstairs, and there is no guarantee that this warm weather will persist long enough to allow them to move to it.

 

[Will C]

In principle, yes, because the colony will then sit in the warmest part of the hive under a sealed & insulated CB, but it is too late in the year to expect a diminishing colony to go down and clear a full super upstairs, and there is no guarantee that this warm weather will persist long enough to allow them to move to it.

I’d love to know what insulation techniques you recommend. We were told not to last year as risk of condensation was too big, so we didn’t.

 

[Mint Bee]

I’d love to know what insulation techniques you recommend. We were told not to last year as risk of condensation was too big, so we didn’t.

unfortunately, there are still a lot of dinosaurs talking sh*te because they were taught it and don't have the intelligence to question the original logic. Where you also advised to have matchsticks in place?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We were told not to last year as risk of condensation was too big,

That's rubbish and just the same old story regurgutated from one generation to the next of the non thinking.
Close all the holes off in the crown board (unless feeding) then put a slab of 50mm kingspan on the crownboard - or even better, stick it permanently in the hive roof after closing the pointless vents in it.

 

[Will C]

That's rubbish and just the same old story regurgutated from one generation to the next of the non thinking.
Close all the holes off in the crown board (unless feeding) yhem put a slab of 50mm kingspan on the crownboard - or even better, stick it permanently in the hive roof after closing the pointless vents in it.

Thank you

 

[Will C]

That's rubbish and just the same old story regurgutated from one generation to the next of the non thinking.
Close all the holes off in the crown board (unless feeding) yhem put a slab of 50mm kingspan on the crownboard - or even better, stick it permanently in the hive roof after closing the pointless vents in it.