Feeding Sugar Syrup throughout the winter

[EDCHEF]

Good Morning All from Sunny Shropshire
Could anyone tell meif there is any reason why I can't feed a very small colony throughout the winter with sugar syrup ?
Thanks
Ed

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees can't concentrate the solution by evaporating the water down in cold weather so you shouldn't use it.

 

[Poly Hive]

You would be stressing them as above.

Make a small eke and feed them fondant, also make them as warm as you can, think of insulation round the hive and so on esp above them.

PH

 

[Arfermo]

You would be stressing them as above.

Make a small eke and feed them fondant, also make them as warm as you can, think of insulation round the hive and so on esp above them.

PH

To keep mine warm I move the nuc frames into a BB with OMF etc, put home made dummy boards on either side and then fill the voids with Kingspan/Celotex etc cut to size, binding the edges with Duck Tape to stop bees chewing it. Works well, so that spring expansion gets going more quickly due to less disturbance, makes oxalic treatment and feeding easier, frees up the nuc. Win win.

 

[Rosti]

Broadly in line with Afermo but I use space board and put it round the outside of the nuc. It is sealed cell (non-porous) and self supporting plus very easily cut / shaped with a wood saw. Perfect for top insulation as well because comfortably takes the weight of a Strengthened Nat roof with no trouble. Still need the edges duck taping.

 

[enrico]

You are right. The bees need the warmth to evaporate the water off, otherwise it will start to ferment and go mouldy in the hive. That is why bees evaporate all the water off honey before they cap it. You will do more harm than good feeding them syrup. In an absolute emergency push holes in a bag of sugar and put that above the brood! They will take that easier than syrup.
E

 

[chrismcd]

Not sure I understand the objections to the first question.

If you use 60% plus syrup if will not ferment. If it does take up extra water and go mouldy simply clean the feeder and start again with less syrup.

You are feeding bees, not expecting them to make it into honey - so why should temperature/evaporation be significant.

A bit of extra water should make it easier to metabolise than fondant.

What I would suspect is that in really cold weather the bees will not go up into the feeder. But, as a supplement to a colony that is lacking stores it would be a possibility.

Personally I would make fondant - my bees love homemade!

 

[Flatters]

If you have two options, Fondant or syrup, and one of them is sub-optimal, i.e. the syrup may go mouldy, need for feeder which will take heat from hive and the bees have to work harder to get a benefit, why even consider the sub-optimal one? Personally I think it is safest if the better option is followed, therefore that is why I think there is the objection.

 

[Rosti]

Not sure I understand the objections to the first question.

If you use 60% plus syrup if will not ferment. If it does take up extra water and go mouldy simply clean the feeder and start again with less syrup.

You are feeding bees, not expecting them to make it into honey - so why should temperature/evaporation be significant.

A bit of extra water should make it easier to metabolise than fondant.

What I would suspect is that in really cold weather the bees will not go up into the feeder. But, as a supplement to a colony that is lacking stores it would be a possibility.

Personally I would make fondant - my bees love homemade!

In broad agreement with you. I don't buy the the need for water argument, usually condensation at the extremes of a hive during winter due to respiration etc anyway and fondant does have some water included. From my experience (even in autumn feeding) double syrup or stronger will crystalise out at any temperature below 15'C (rate is temperature dependant). With most miller/rapid type feeders that means the supply route gets blocked up. Also consider the access route and how close to the cluster you can position the energy source. Fondant resting on a QE provides a compelling argument from that perspective. For ease and availability fondant is preferable IMO

 

[Andy Duff]

Bees can't concentrate the solution by evaporating the water down in cold weather so you shouldn't use it.

 

[Finman]

.
Most important thing is that the colony should have a winter rest. They form a cluster and keep 23C temp inside the cluster.

When you feed the colony, they activate themselves. Heat rises to 36C. They start to feed brood and that does not promise any good in December or January. February is bees' natural brooding moth.

Bees will be short living and probably nosema bursts out.

 

[Black Comb]

I know beeks who fed Ambrosia over last winter without problems.
Never done it myself though.

 

[Finman]

.
That is something what I have never heard, beed bees all the time in winter.
And the reason is.....

 

[geebee]

I fed syrup to a fist sized colony with no brood or stores as an experiment, rather than let them die after wasp attack They came through last winter and have grown quite strong, in fact masses flying today,taking in pollen. Housed in a 5 frame Poly fish box. Very few flying from wooden hives nearby.

 

[Black Comb]

.
That is something what I have never heard, beed bees all the time in winter.
And the reason is.....

I have no idea.

 

[Finman]

.
Basic system is that you feed hives in UK in September, bees have time to cap the food.
If they do not cap it, moisture goes into the food store. It may start ferment, get mold etc.
Even big hives will die with this system

i must admit that I feeded a year ago my hives so late that some hives had over winter 80%
nothing happened. I think that reason was extremely cold winter. Food store was freezed the whole winter.

What if someboby want to feed his hives in winter and not in September, he does it. They are his hives. He may get a Nobel Prize from innovation.