Help with feeding

[nesshughes]

I have only been keeping bess for about 6 weeks, having completed a 10 week course last year, and feel I have learnt so much from viewing the forum, but felt I would worry about asking for help for fear of looking silly. Well the time has come to look silly! I have 2 hives, one from a 5 frame nuc which has now built up to 7 frames of brood and plenty of stores - everything going well. I then bought a full colony from a beekeeper close by abut 3 weeks ago, which has also been doing really well, I have taken one super of honey from it so far. My problem is that upon inspection on Saturday, the stores in the second large colony have all but gone, empty frames in the brood box and a super containing frames about half full with nectar. I feel the bees definitely need feeding but am unsure of the best way. Do I remove the super and feed ambrosia syrup directly on to the brood box, though I feel this will cause serious overcrowding. Or do I feed on top of the super. If I removed the super could I give the frames of nectar to my other hive. Both colonies appear to still be busy, lots of flying and this morning bringing in lots of pale pollen which I assume could be Himalayan Balsam. Sorry for the long winded question when I'm sure the answer will be straight forward.

 

[oliver90owner]

Are these half-full super frames really nectar or is it now honey?

Is there an arch of nectar (and sealed honey above) over the brood areas?

Did you extract the super removed and replace it as wet comb?

Is there a flow of nectar at the moment?

Are the stores increasing in the super or decreasing?

Have you considered they may have moved the stores from the brood to the super?

So my answer is wait and see, observe and decide.

Simply removing the super could precipitate a late swarm.

I am not feeding any of my colonies at the present time.

Regards, RAB

 

[Cazza]

:

Have you considered they may have moved the stores from the brood to the super?

So my answer is wait and see, observe and decide.

Simply removing the super could precipitate a late swarm.

I am not feeding any of my colonies at the present time.

Regards, RAB

OMG I actually agree with Rab!

Cazza

 

[oliver90owner]

OMG I actually agree with Rab!

WOT! that's at least twice recently!

Regards, RAB

 

[nesshughes]

Thanks for the speedy reply. I believe the contents of the super to be nectar, but will check again. There is very little honey around the brood, and I have put the wet super back on to be cleaned, but only yesterday. Will they get a significant amount from this?I would say the amount in the stores is pretty static at the moment, but the bees are certainly busy. Perhaps I have panicked too soon, I will wait and see, but how soon might I need to act?

Thanks again

 

[Polyanwood]

Simply removing the super could precipitate a late swarm.

Regards, RAB

Please explain why RAB. Do you say that because reduction in and insufficient space available for bees sometimes triggers swarming?

 

[Midland Beek]

I would just be disinclined to feed. If your 'hungry' stock is working Himalayan balsam, then that should get them by, assuming we don't have a bad spell of weather.

 

[oliver90owner]

Polyanwood,

Yes.

Regards, RAB