Feeding in Winter

[Nick W]

Syrup in the feeder when I say 1/4.

When I very last checked before it got cold, the one hive was full of brood/stores and the younger swarm hive was 3/4 full.

As it is my first winter I just want to make sure they are looked after and well. I dont mind buying fondant even if they do not eat it - I just want to make sure they are OK.

 

[Easy Beesy]

If you want to just make sure the bees are ok, maybe you should have found out the right way to go about it BEFORE you got to this point.

 

[clare p]

Easy beesey
what do you mean in your comment, this is an interesting informative for newbees (like myself) post, I am not sure what you are implying?
It sounds like everything is being done to look after the bees (perhaps apart from leaving on the feeder)
Clare

 

[Black Comb]

Indeed it is the culture on this forum that we help new beeks however many times the question has been asked before.

How many can say they have never made a mistake?

 

[Hombre]

We haven't been topping up the fondant, but then they had plenty of stores....I intend to start feeding nearer spring. Is that right? I read that then is the time you lose you bees from starvation, as they've used all they stored through winter. How early can I give syrup, as getting fondant isn't as easy.

The bees will steadily use stores through the winter and hefting will keep you in contact with the level of stores remaining. The game starts to change when new brood is being fed and then starts to emerge, as very quickly the number of diners being fed and feeding has increased, with a logical increase in the rate of stores depletion.

If your bees are fairly remote or you have a lot of colonies then you can imagine that it is fairly easy to miss the fact that the cupboard is going to be totally emptied a couple of days before your next inspection, which could be anything from one to three weeks or more at this time of year.

A sealed frame of brood apparently translates to two new seams of bees - a point that someone reliable might be able to confirm or elaborate on please.

So, if you are checking once a week on average, you are unlikely to be quite as exposed as some.

Kazmcc - does that make up for the smutty inuendo earlier?

 

[Vergilius]

Easy Beesy,

Nick W may have made a small mistake but come on! I'm sure every beek made mistakes like this as a newbee! Why don't you try to advise Nick on where he has gone wrong and what to do to rectify the mistake rather than making a useless comment...

Ben P

 

[Hombre]

I can see Ben that you are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

A wise head on young shoulders and you have obviously done a fair bit of homework. I look forward to reading all your exploits next season.

 

[psafloyd]

Easy Beesy,

Nick W may have made a small mistake but come on! I'm sure every beek made mistakes like this as a newbee! Why don't you try to advise Nick on where he has gone wrong and what to do to rectify the mistake rather than making a useless comment...

Ben P

 

[Easy Beesy]

Easiest way to rectify mistake is to not make it in the first place. This mistake could be detrimental to the bees. Are we not all on here because we care? My advice was to know how to look after them first not after. What's wrong with a bit of background reading anyway?

 

[oliver90owner]

clare p,

Easy Beezy is actually spot on regarding that comment. New beeks are often far too late in gaining enough information as to how to do it, even nearly properly.

New beeks, tell me this: how many books have you read that do not cover winter preparations for the bees? That's right; none.

All these 'winter preparations' sections give huge clues (like preparation for winter, or things to be done before winter). They all go into detail regarding dates to start feeding and when it should be completed by. The good books will offer explanations for each part of the procedure.

Here we have one colony with about three frames empty, going into winter. Is that good for the bees? No.

What else do we know of the husbandry throughout the summer, on which you are basing your comment of "It sounds like everything is being done to look after the bees (perhaps apart from leaving on the feeder)"?

Exasperating to hear it, maybe, but Easy Beezy is just too close to the mark/truth for some - usually those in the same boat, in all probability.

RAB

 

[Dishmop]

In my next life I also want to be perfect.

 

[Vergilius]

"Easy Beezy is actually spot on regarding that comment. New beeks are often far too late in gaining enough information as to how to do it, even nearly properly."

Yes, but Nick W knew that he had made a mistake. There is no point in posting purely to attack the thread starter as Easy Beesy did.


"New beeks, tell me this: how many books have you read that do not cover winter preparations for the bees? That's right; none."

Maybe Nick W misinterpreted the info from a book that he read.

All these 'winter preparations' sections give huge clues (like preparation for winter, or things to be done before winter). They all go into detail regarding dates to start feeding and when it should be completed by. The good books will offer explanations for each part of the procedure.

I presume that during Sept/Oct he was busy and therefore couldn't give a proper autumn feed. I remember that in my first winter I did not actually understand how quickly the bees took down the syrup and that you could probably feed the bees 15kg's of syrup in a week. Therefore I was filling up a 1kg feeder once a week. As a result of this my feeding programme continued into early November- far too late. I was saved by the mild autumn that we had last year. This is a mistake that has probably been made many times...

"Here we have one colony with about three frames empty, going into winter. Is that good for the bees? No."

Yes obviously. But why don't you tell him what can be done about the problem- dummyboards, insulation etc. I know that Nick W has left it far too late in the year for this thread...


"What else do we know of the husbandry throughout the summer, on which you are basing your comment of "It sounds like everything is being done to look after the bees (perhaps apart from leaving on the feeder)"?"

I think this was just lackadaisical posting by Nick W. He is talking about what can be done over winter...

"Exasperating to hear it, maybe, but Easy Beezy is just too close to the mark/truth for some - usually those in the same boat, in all probability."
RAB[/QUOTE]

I am not in the same boat but I know from my own experiences that Nick W's problem can be made by any new beek...

RAB, did/do you ever make any mistakes? LOL


Ben P

 

[clare p]

Rab
I understand your post and comments but would like to know what use easy beesys comment was in helping Nick W?
Was it worth making that comment, or was it only there to insult him?
It seems to me that that was the only purpose to it.
I have been reading this forum and have found it very useful indeed, but, and I am not a particularily sensitive person, it has taken me a long time to get used to the tone of some of the messages, without being offended. It sometimes reminds me of my sister and myself when we were children and we just want to say something to hurt each other. Childish?
Clare

 

[Dishmop]

They all go into detail regarding dates to start feeding and when it should be completed by.

no they dont, which is why so many people here get it wrong......

I have seen in books where it says what to do when installing a new colony from a nuc and about feeding them,,,,,,,, doesnt always say how long to feed them for tho,,, and therefore it seems as if some people assume that they should feed them all year through....

 

[aberreef]

Just out of interest, how quickly will bees use fondant?

 

[Poly Hive]

Depends on the weather. If they can break cluster they will chomp away and if not then they won't.

For the record I was unable to feed my colonies this autumn as I would have wished to due to family reasons, and so it behoves ALL of us including this imperfect person to remember sh** happens. To all of us.

PH

 

[kazmcc]

The bees will steadily use stores through the winter and hefting will keep you in contact with the level of stores remaining. The game starts to change when new brood is being fed and then starts to emerge, as very quickly the number of diners being fed and feeding has increased, with a logical increase in the rate of stores depletion.

If your bees are fairly remote or you have a lot of colonies then you can imagine that it is fairly easy to miss the fact that the cupboard is going to be totally emptied a couple of days before your next inspection, which could be anything from one to three weeks or more at this time of year.

A sealed frame of brood apparently translates to two new seams of bees - a point that someone reliable might be able to confirm or elaborate on please.

So, if you are checking once a week on average, you are unlikely to be quite as exposed as some.

Kazmcc - does that make up for the smutty inuendo earlier?

Hombre, I reckon it's a fair swap LOL

 

[Hackney]

Depends on the weather. If they can break cluster they will chomp away and if not then they won't.

Below that temp, I suppose the cluster can move up, and along the comb length, but can it move sideways between combs? If not, does that mean they only use stores on combs to the side of the cluster when it's warm enough to break out?
I do read books but sometimes they don't tidy up the loose end questions.
Tim

 

[Peter Cox]

The issue is that below a certain temperature the bees cannot evaporate the excess water out of the syrup so as to convert it into "honey", yes I know it's not real honey. That certain temperature was passed long ago from the pictures of your weather. After that point they will expend more energy attempting to evaporate the excess water than they are likely to gain. Also as other's pointed out the uncapped syrup in the comb is likely to ferment or mould and in addition moulding conditions are more likely due to the excessive humidity created by any evaporation they do manage.

 

[Vergilius]

That certain temperature was passed long ago from the pictures of your weather.

About 2 months ago... Nick W has been feeding for syrup for far too long...

Ben P