hello newbies from east northants

[horsemad]

hi everyone
we just wanted to say a hello, new to the forum.
we are bee keepers from east northants and have just come across your lovely forum.
jenny

 

[BeeFarmer]

Have you joined the local association yet?

 

[Josie and Chris]

hi everyone
we just wanted to say a hello, new to the forum.
we are bee keepers from east northants and have just come across your lovely forum.
jenny

Hello, we are new Bees too! We have a new colony of bees in a top bar hive. There is no pollen about at present, so we are feeding sugar syrup. We hope July will be a better pollen month!
We live in South Shropshire, grow fruit trees, keep poultry (for eggs) and horses.
Love Josie and Chris

 

[oliver90owner]

Trouble is that pollen is not nectar.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hello, we are new Bees too! We have a new colony of bees in a top bar hive. There is no pollen about at present, so we are feeding sugar syrup. We hope July will be a better pollen month!
We live in South Shropshire, grow fruit trees, keep poultry (for eggs) and horses.
Love Josie and Chris

Welcome to the jungle. You give a somewhat bewildered impression though when you say there is no pollen about in Shropshire. Have you had any instruction or training or have you read any decent beekeeping books?
There is a "June gap" in some years but certainly in my locality it hasn't happened this year hence feeding sugar syrup isn't needed where I am. In fact it may adversely affect your colony by blocking broodspace which is needed for the queen to lay.
Put oversimply perhaps Pollen is protein to feed larvae, Nectar is what bees collect to make into honey. Sugar syrup (thin 1:1) is a nectar replacement/substitute.
Plenty of help here but you can't beat a good local mentor