Feeding Poly Nucs

[Millet]

First season with a winter six frame Paynes poly Nuc and probably the last the way they are going through the fondant..
They where fed two feeder loads of thyomol syrup.. they also had balsam to play with and then the ivy..
Two weeks ago they felt a bit light(not sure what a Nuc should weigh) so i half filled the feeder with fondant... i looked in today and it was totally empty so i half filled it again.. this Nuc is jam packed with bees which might be the reason they are pouching so much scran...
At this stage (experienced folk) how often would you look in on them bearing in mind the weather is baltic here and how often do you keep topping them up.. weekly/fortnightly regardless of what fondant they have left..i have ordered a poly eke in the mean time just to be on the safe side so i can give them more in one go..
Thanks
Steve.

 

[user 6228]

put a 35mm PIR cosy on them. MCR cos that the way the universe rules

 

[B+.]

put a 35mm PIR cosy on them. MCR cos that the way the universe rules

A 35mm cosy on a polnuc? OMG whatever next? It's not even cold yet!
I keep saying: endless insulaion isn't the answer here. Look at Michael Palmer overwintering bees in Vermont (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6blu8x8lk).
My advice would be to look closely at the bees and ask why they're eating it all.....I suggest, because it isn't cold yet. They haven't got the idea that winter is coming and they should cluster.

 

[user 6228]

A 35mm cosy on a polnuc? OMG whatever next? It's not even cold yet!
I keep saying: endless insulaion isn't the answer here. Look at Michael Palmer overwintering bees in Vermont (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6blu8x8lk).
My advice would be to look closely at the bees and ask why they're eating it all.....I suggest, because it isn't cold yet. They haven't got the idea that winter is coming and they should cluster.

Tree cavity is the norm not a poly nuc or a wooden nuc

 

[B+.]

Tree cavity is the norm not a poly nuc or a wooden nuc

Originally, yes....but bees have evolved the clustering technique (like emperor penguins sheltering from the cold wind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-U8h1SCDbU) They continually change places with those inside the warm cluster). Too much heat isn't good for bees...they consume all their stores and starve

 

[Karsal]

First season with a winter six frame Paynes poly Nuc and probably the last the way they are going through the fondant..
They where fed two feeder loads of thyomol syrup.. they also had balsam to play with and then the ivy..
Two weeks ago they felt a bit light(not sure what a Nuc should weigh) so i half filled the feeder with fondant... i looked in today and it was totally empty so i half filled it again.. this Nuc is jam packed with bees which might be the reason they are pouching so much scran...
At this stage (experienced folk) how often would you look in on them bearing in mind the weather is baltic here and how often do you keep topping them up.. weekly/fortnightly regardless of what fondant they have left..i have ordered a poly eke in the mean time just to be on the safe side so i can give them more in one go..
Thanks
Steve.

Thought I’d try giving my poly nuc bees 1kg of sugar made into a candy block with a little water and a spoonful of cider vinegar. Lots of recepies on YouTube. Popped it on the crown board and within the week all gone! Then last week tried another 1kg block of sugar. Following day I stood near my hives and a bee from the nuc landed on my arm. It had a piece of white sugar, dropped it and flew back. They don’t like the candy block and are chucking it out. I’ll be using fondant from now on

 

[Millet]

put a 35mm PIR cosy on them. MCR cos that the way the universe rules

I'll give it a go.. but if that thermo dymatic shite fail's you will be held to blame..

 

[Millet]

Thought I’d try giving my poly nuc bees 1kg of sugar made into a candy block with a little water and a spoonful of cider vinegar. Lots of recepies on YouTube. Popped it on the crown board and within the week all gone! Then last week tried another 1kg block of sugar. Following day I stood near my hives and a bee from the nuc landed on my arm. It had a piece of white sugar, dropped it and flew back. They don’t like the candy block and are chucking it out. I’ll be using fondant from now on

Thank's for that...

 

[masterBK]

Karsal: Adding vinegar to sugar brings about acidic hydrolysis and splits some of the sucrose into glucose and fructose but unfortunately also raises HMF which is toxic to bees causing ulceration of the digestive tract

 

[Millet]

Karsal: Adding vinegar to sugar brings about acidic hydrolysis and splits some of the sucrose into glucose and fructose but unfortunately also raises HMF which is toxic to bees causing ulceration of the digestive tract

Give me a answer that will help the nuc and hopefully stop me from laughing..

 

[SDM]

Check the weight again, they may well have stored the fondant.

 

[Stiffy]

Checked stores in my poly nucs last weekend when taking apivar out . Most had lots of stores and bouncing with bees but although I only pulled a couple of frames, very little brood.
I think the next couple of months they are going to slow up before brooding really gets going as the evenings start to draw out and arrival of spring.
I would suggest putting a decent slab of fondant on using an eke, not a piddling amount in a feeder.
S

 

[madasafish]

Weighed my smallest : Honey Paw 4 frame (Lang jumbo)
>10kg so fine.
Panic feeding below 6.5Kg

 

[Murox]

There are too many variables for an easy answer. I suspect B+ has hinted strongly at part of the answer. My inclination would be to ensure sufficient ventilation and as suggested put on a decent sized slab of fondant using an eke. Weigh the nucleus carefully and then leave them alone until mid December and check when you might be doing "vaps".

The hard sugar candy is some times just thrown out of the hive for whatever reason. Also as said already the addition of vinegar does potentially create problems. Straight sugar and water is best.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Nothing to do with the nuc !!

 

[Beefriendly]

I'll give it a go.. but if that thermo dymatic shite fail's you will be held to blame..

Don't do it. They are already in a poly nuc. Any more insulation is just a waste of time...particularly if you haven't sealed the open mesh floor.

 

[Millet]

Don't do it. They are already in a poly nuc. Any more insulation is just a waste of time...particularly if you haven't sealed the open mesh floor.

The floor is sealed with no moisture issues it also has another spare poly roof on top of the original one .

 

[Stiffy]

Don't do it. They are already in a poly nuc. Any more insulation is just a waste of time...particularly if you haven't sealed the open mesh floor.

Pointless exercise. The insulation the polynuc is providing is more than adequate, unless you are trying to take a very small number of bees through. In which case you are taking a risk and they shouldn't be in a polynuc.
S

 

[Poly Hive]

What I do is put an eke on top of the nuc and feed fondant.

B+? Now now there is no point in pointing at US events as their cold is completely different to ours as you well know or should. Ours is WET theirs is DRY and our cold at plus2C is in a way colder or more miserable than minus 20C.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Checked my Paynes nucs this morning... and topped up the feeders as I have done for seasons.... All are full of bees ( could see them through the clear cover) all are heavy and bees flying.
If they so not take the stores it adds a layer of insulation to one side... possibly will take a peek to see if they cluster on that side when it gets cold... balmy and almost tropical today in the Greatgreygreengreasyslimeytamarrivervalleyallsetaboutwithzealitickeepersofnativecornishblackbees...andafewemptyexpenciveemptysecondhomes!!!!


Yeghes da