feeding

[tom8400]

Hi all

I know I should be able to find a previous question re feeding, however I have decided perhaps I should start feeding regardless of that I haven't taken any honey but I'd like to get some food in for them.

So I started a few days ago and they cleared a four pint rapid feeder in a day the second day they did the same and this evening I looked thinking I'd need to refil and they had completely emptied it and were all having a little gathering inside the feeder. I was mixing at 2-1.

so can I over feed I have read they should stop when they have enough, they certainly are extremely busy outside during the day plenty about still.

secondly Im looking at the bigger feeders again the rapid type is the double entry one a good idea? or stick to single entrance

Thanks for any help

 

[nightshade]

Lol...I read the same thing...and went on my baby feeding experience experience of supply on demand...

Apparently I overfed my new nuc and they had no room for brood...a quick couple of new frames and I'm hoping it will be sorted...
Wouldn't be experienced enough to advise on yours however...other than I've been advised to stop feeding sugar syup and we will put on fondant in time for winter!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I assume you're looking at the Maisemores 'Jumbo rapid' feeder - green with two feeding cones - big as a national hive so it goes straight on the the brood box (No need for a crown board) holds over three gallons and very heavy when filled - also awkward and wobbly to lift and move even when half full. Good bits of kit and I used to have them as I had long spells from home and the feeders don't need topping up often.
I'd go for the slightly smaller 'jumbo feeder' which holds a bit more than a gallon, and much cheaper (now I don't work away I've changed all my feeders to these)
Be aware that the Maisemore ones have the feeder cone to one side so you need a hole to the side of your crown board.
Thorne's sell one the same size but with a central feeder cone called the 'English feeder' and if you buy them on ebay are a bit cheaper especially for multiple purchases.

 

[tom8400]

hi thank you for the replies

Yes thats the one in question, if its like you say then perhaps best I get the other one.

should I stop feeding soon? I don't want to over feed but these are in a national 1 brood and they have a super too, they did have a couple of empties each side in the super which I hoped it would encourage them to draw them out which they seem to have been slow to do.


Here's a picture now they have a stand I made a couple of weeks ago, they do have a additional super on top to house the feeder

 

[Swarm]

Very pretty.

 

[tom8400]

I cant take the credit for the painting, only the white haha.

Few more issues,

The hive is brood box,super,excluder,super,cb,super housing feeder

brood box then I allowed them to have a super as extra brood space, and because they didn't want to go through the excluder. I added the next super and they barely touched it so I started to feed last week. well that was probably a mistake I should have removed the upper super and excluder and put the feeder on top (is this correct?) I didn't because there were a lot of bees sitting about in the top one and the other was packed out too. they had done a lot in the lower super bar 4 frames at most. brood box was last time I checked ok bar the two outsides ( just read on the other post I need to turn these... is that crucial?) If so I will do so later.

So they have started filling the top super and slowed on the lower one, I could now move frames back down to where they need to be but I'm suddenly panicking that they may have abandoned the brood box.

any ideas and input greatly appreciated

 

[Bakerbee]

Hiya. Im a newbee too, its a little daunting isnt it? I will leave this answer to the pros but do know qe must come off before winter. I wonder if to condense your frames down it might be suggested to move supers below bb.(dont take that as advice! Im nowhere near experienced, just pondering) I will be interested to see what ideas the pros have as this is how we are all learning. Also idea behind turning my outer frames inside was just to encourage bees to use up all space and they dont seem to like doing the outer sides of first n last frames.

 

[PapaLazarou]

Whatever you do take the QE out before you tuck them in for winter... Don't want to leave her stranded one side with the cluster on the other...

 

[theeggman]

Also idea behind turning my outer frames inside was just to encourage bees to use up all space and they dont seem to like doing the outer sides of first n last frames.

My guess is you are on wooden hive parts, bees don't use the frame sides against the 'cold' wall. With my polys they use all both sides of all frames.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Take the empty super away. Leave them with brood and super no excluder. Two supers is too much room.

 

[For want of a better word]

My guess is you are on wooden hive parts, bees don't use the frame sides against the 'cold' wall. With my polys they use all both sides of all frames.

Who has the Nationals with the pretty knitted hive cosies up by Sticklepath?
Not you if you have pollies.
Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My guess is you are on wooden hive parts, bees don't use the frame sides against the 'cold' wall. With my polys they use all both sides of all frames.

I find that in my wooden hives they use both sides of every frame

 

[tom8400]

I wonder is it a positioning thing, perhaps warmer places or maybe if the warm way or cold way.

So the overall is there is only need for the bb and one super over winter? even if I let them go brood and half during the summer although they never used it as a half. So this evening il have one last shuffle round before winter and then that'll be that

thanks for all the help

 

[Swarm]

It's all about shuffling the frames to make sure they are all drawn.