Getting bees to take thymolated feed

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I have always struggled with this. I have tried trails of honey, and reducing strength. Any other tips? I am probably at Manley 2 or 3. Too high?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Eh?

I just use HM's thymol emulsion and put it in the feeder, end of - bees don't need coaxing to take it down

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I've used hive alive with no problems.....going over to give makers this fall

 

[Erichalfbee]

1ml premix per litre is taken no problem, added to invert

 

[madasafish]

Never any issues with HM's recipe with varying strengths. Only thing I can think of is your mix is too strong.

How did you make it and how much in feed?

 

[Eyeman]

Bees take the recommend thymol syrup strength down differently if using 2:1 v 1:1 sugar:water mix.
I used a 1:1 in the past as I just wanted them to get the thymol and wasn't topping up the stores- they were reluctant to take it down- may have been due to there still being a good nectar flow with the late Balsam and early Ivy.

 

[Al-In-Italy]

Previously, we've never had problems using 1:1 syrup treated with the Hivemaker thymol emulsion at the rate of 1 tsp per gallon (6 ml per 4.5 litres).

However, we've had different experiences with two swarms we homed last month. The first took the syrup from an Ashforth feeder eagerly, but the second ignored it. We put in a frame feeder with thymol syrup over the weekend and this appears to have made a difference. They aren't mobbing the Ashforth, but there are a few bees up there now so at least we're sure they know it's there.

 

[Finman]

.
i use nothing. I have enough spare hives to repair nosema losses..

And nosema sensitive colonies can go to where they belong.

 

[Hivemaker.]

.
i use nothing.
And nosema sensitive colonies can go to where they belong.

.
My mite situation is so bad now, that I must do AS from hives. So I get broodless hives and I polish the mites away 95% with one treatment. I use oxalic trickling in that.

Why don't you let the varroa sensitive colonies go the same way as the Nosema sensitive ones.

 

[Finman]

Why don't you let the varroa sensitive colonies go the same way as the Nosema sensitive ones.

Because varroa sensitive bees does not work in practical, honey production level. It needs so strong belief, that I do not have such.

.when a domestic animal has pests, it does not live on the most productive level. The pest takes always its tax.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Because varroa sensitive bees does not work in practical, honey production level.

Neither do Nosema sensitive ones, but can be very easily treated, same as varroa sensitive ones.

 

[Finman]

Neither do Nosema sensitive ones, but can be very easily treated, same as varroa sensitive ones.

I have kept bees 54 years.I am not afraid of nosema. Perhaps I am too lazy to take care of it.

Once I gove to bees old capped honey as Winter food. The results were so terrible that I never again give last year's sugar or old honey frames as winter food.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have kept bees 54 years.I am not afraid of nosema. Perhaps I am too lazy to take care of it.

Best not to be a lazy person...I had a couple with Nosema this spring, treated them, and they have now collected 175kg of honey, they are now on the heather where I hope they might collect another 30kg, I'm not afraid of Nosema either.

Once I gove to bees old capped honey as Winter food. The results were so terrible that I never again give last year's sugar or old honey frames as winter food.

Yes, silly thing to do, give bees disease ridden food for winter.

 

[Finman]

Best not to be a lazy person...I had a couple with Nosema this spring, treated them, and they have now collected 175kg of honey, th.

That yield comes from pastures. If you put those same hives into a poor place they may give nothing.

Nosema makes its dirty work during Winter. IT heals in spring if the Queen is not violated.
.
When I have given in spring frames of emerging bees from normal hive, nosemic hive has started to rear brood in normal way.

By on another hand, I had 4 frame nuc in spring. Iy started to loose bees, and I gove to it twice healty bees, but new bees become sick too. Finally the hive stopped laying totally. These cases are interesting. I am not sorry about those.

The lesson is that do not join nosemic bees to the heathy hive.
.

.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you put those same hives on poor place they may give nothing.

Yes, somewhere like Rockall.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes, somewhere like Rockall.

Are there bees on St Kilda...

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.
Finnish beekeepers say that lingon berry honey is best in the world.

I put 2 big hives on vast lingon berry forest and blooming was fantastic.
But hives got nothing.

IT is last time when i put my hives on lingon berry forest. There are so much rumour level knowledge about bee plants, that I cannot stand that wisdom.

For example I use one hive per 10 hectar rape field. Many recommends 4 hives per hectar. What a nonsense. I have kept hives on rape 40 years. IT must be enough to know, what to do.
.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are there bees on St Kilda...

Yeghes da

no - not the last time I was there anyway

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Are there bees on St Kilda...



Yeghes da

Cover her in honey and there will be.

I suspect I am starting too strong; will dilute with a view to ramping up. Only feeding one nuc I may put into production next year at this point. Thanks all.


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[REDWOOD]

1:1 mix with thymol works wonders for a colony struggling in the spring. Never had a problem with bees not taking it.
I think it's the duty of a beekeeper to fight for the survival of there bees, without that I would question if they were a beekeeper or just a honey producer.