fondant to sugar syrup..when?

[biglongdarren]

what should i be looking for weather wise and in the bees as to when i should start feeding them sugar syrup instead of fondant again?
Darren

 

[Friar Tuck]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8784

 

[Midland Beek]

Haven't you got fed up of mixing sugar syrup up yet? Do you like spilt sugar around your kitchen?

Some claim that feeding 1:1 in spring comes is useful as it provides the bees with some water to dilute their food stores with. The same people have perhaps not noticed that it rains a lot in the UK.

 

[Rosti]

At the risk of starting a completely different debate. I think you should be more concerned about when / if you give them pollen patties. Then you should think about restricting feed so that there is space for laying then (and I agree with MB) there is the consideration of the difference between syrup weak / syrup strong / fondant which is far less crucial - given our unfortunately damp Springs!

 

[Vergilius]

At the risk of starting a completely different debate. I think you should be more concerned about when / if you give them pollen patties. Then you should think about restricting feed so that there is space for laying then (and I agree with MB) there is the consideration of the difference between syrup weak / syrup strong / fondant which is far less crucial - given our unfortunately damp Springs!

You don't want young, weak colonies having to expend foragers by making em go out collecting pollen in iffy weather...

If your colonies are relatively small provide pollen for them.

Ben P

 

[Poly Hive]

Clever Midland but you are missing a critical point... in order to collect rain water bees need to (in general) fly out.

It's 3 degrees, blowing 40 knots, and who is daft enough to be flying?


That is precisely why it is recommended.

PH