Feeding now

[Gadgetman]

Just coming to the end of my first season. I’m wondering what is best to be feeding bees right now? 2:1 syrup or fondant?

There’s a fair amount of forage around still and the bees are working hard, but a couple of my hives don’t have much in the way of stores and the laying has definitely slowed right down.

I’m also about to add apivar treatment….

 

[Boston Bees]

Syrup or fondant? Either is absolutely fine. Do whatever is most convenient for you.

The only caveat would be that if you are feeding syrup, be careful that they don't jam the brood nest with the stuff, as they can take it down faster than fondant and sometimes get a bit ahead of themselves. Also make sure, if feeding syrup, that you don't get wasps interested (do it late in the day).

 

[ericbeaumont]

2:1 syrup or fondant?

Fondant is less mess: http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/Fondant Peter Edwards.pdf

 

[enrico]

Not sure where you are but my bees are still working hard down here. Won't be feeding for at least three weeks!

 

[Gadgetman]

Syrup or fondant? Either is absolutely fine. Do whatever is most convenient for you.

Is there a difference in the way they use it? Am I right in thinking syrup they actually store, whereas fondant they consume straight away?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Is there a difference in the way they use it? Am I right in thinking syrup they actually store, whereas fondant they consume straight away?

They store both - read Eric's attachment above. They just take their time over fondant and rush syrup.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is there a di


Is there a difference in the way they use it? Am I right in thinking syrup they actually store, whereas fondant they consume straight away?

No - given a surplus they'll store fondant as readily as syrup - just that they need to water it down more to process.

 

[holmbee]

Fondant is also less attractive to wasps and to robbing by other bees.

 

[Worker bee]

You can still use 1/1 syrup to keep your queen laying good until mid September at least in most parts of the UK. You want to dilute the ivy honey too so base your feeding amount around that because if they get on that and have low stores they will cram every frame full of it if they can. They cap it fast too. Your brood shouldn't be full yet in fact a few of my 14x12s are getting fresh foundation frames today because they've stuffed a few too many full of heather honey so I'll take advantage of this hot few days to get them drawn. If they don't the honey goes back in but with this flow and weather they shouldn't have a problem

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

ivy honey ............... because if they get on that and have low stores they will cram every frame full of it if they can.

and?........

 

[Worker bee]

and?........

A lot of people say it can cause problems if you don't feed to dilute it. I wouldnt know because I'm always feeding them to get them ready for winter so it gets diluted anyway. What's your opinion on a brood full of ivy honey for winter? Some of my bees pull a lot of it in and I had two hives one year fill the whole brood full and they got through the winter OK but that year I gave them a big slab of fondant on top

 

[Levitt53]

My bees stock up on ivy honey. I don't normally feed unless I feel they are not heavy enough towards the end of september. I assume it's ok as obviously what colonies would have got in the wild.

 

[Swarm]

Nothing like the stench of Ivy in the apiary.

 

[Worker bee]

My bees stock up on ivy honey. I don't normally feed unless I feel they are not heavy enough towards the end of september. I assume it's ok as obviously what colonies would have got in the wild.

But in the wild we wouldn't have took a crop so would have plenty of honey before ivy. Does it contribute towards disentry and isolation starvation?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does it contribute towards disentry and isolation starvation?

Why on earth should it do that? around here the ivy comes online after feeding so the outer frames usually end up pure ivy, never had a problem with it, neither have I observed the bees having issues with it. The whole 'bees can't process ivy' myth is another case of accepted wisdom that everyone has accepted without actually looking at the facts.

 

[Goran]

In this time of year, as preparation for winter we feed with water:sugar 2:3, some adding 1gram of citric acid per kg of sugar added.. Tempo is various.. Mostly give a lot in short period ( calculated enough), then decrease to 0,5-1 liter every second day to they cap all of thoroughly.