Feeding large numbers of hives

[Tim.S]

The title says it all really. Just how do the commercial beekeepers feed the large quantity of hives they have at one go? I'm not talking about our American cousins, rather commercial beeks in this country. The volume of kit required must be frightening or is there another way?

 

[Moggs]

Big tank. Pump.

 

[Rob55]

Not with inverted syrup or ambrosia, that's for sure. In Finland anyway. Lol

 

[REDWOOD]

Lots of feeders and a syrup despensing pump

 

[For want of a better word]

Big feeders too !

 

[hallshoney]

The large commercial out fit up the road from me uses a jcb fastrack with a 2000 litre tank mounted on the back. With a Honda petrol pump and a thirty foot hose. The feeders look like miller type.

 

[beebreeder]

I have a sixty gallon tank with pump and hose, makes it quicker. I can reverse the pump to fill the tank and yes syrup not Ambrosia, syrup has HM,s thymol added as feeders filled.

 

[Arfermo]

A commercial beek I spoke to earlier this year candidly admitted he didn't feed due to the cost. As a consequence he said he had 60% fewer hives this spring. Silly boy?

 

[fiftyjon]

A large tank and washing up bowls as feeders placed on crownboards in an empty super.

 

[Chris Luck]

A commercial beek I spoke to earlier this year candidly admitted he didn't feed due to the cost. As a consequence he said he had 60% fewer hives this spring. Silly boy?

Did they tell you the colonies failed due to starvation?

I know I don't have a large number of hives but most of mine don't require feeding either before or during winter and rarely, (I mean RARELY), have I lost a colony due to starvation.

At present I'm feeding 7 colonies that are late for one reason or another, two raised in August, two late cut outs and three late swarms.

Chris

 

[itma]

I believe that ITLD (the largest-scale operator on here) uses invert syrup (Belgian, by the tanker load) and Ashforth-type (internally painted) poly feeders that stay on the hive all year --- for at least some of his empire!
I don't recall a description of the filling of the feeders. Maybe that's what he's busy doing right now?