how long to feed?

[parttimer]

I recived two packages of bees on sunday night and they hav almost emptied the feeders I gave them. How long should I keep feeding them for as I dont want to open up the hive yet? Also will the pacages have come with drones in as one of the hives seem to have two drones at the entrance?

 

[itma]

I've no idea about the size of your package or your feeder, but if they have gone into a box full of foundation (no drawn comb), you should try and prevent the feeder running dry until each colony has taken at least a gallon (say 5 litres) of 1:1.

Hopefully they have gone into "comb-drawing mode", and you want to try and prevent them exiting that mode because there 'flow' has dried up (the feeder is empty!)
You don't need to stuff them with excess food to store (it'll only get in their way in a few weeks).
Two or three pounds of honey stored should be plenty to avoid starvation at this time of the year.

 

[alanf]

I recived two packages of bees on sunday night.

You bought packages? And not the only one asking about them. You might not get a lot of replies because these are unusual in the UK and there's not a lot of experience in handling them about. Nothing inherently wrong about them, lots in the US, Australia and elsewhere just that most hobby beekeepers in the UK are more used to nucleus or swarm.

 

[parttimer]

Its a rapid feeder and each pack contained 10 kg apparently

 

[alanf]

Its a rapid feeder and each pack contained 10 kg apparently

10 kg of bees? That sounds unlikely, in the US they talk about 2 or 3 pounds as a package size. The usual circular plastic "rapid" feeder holds 2 litres, my usual fill is 1kg of sugar in 1 litre of water.

 

[parttimer]

Yeh 10 kg dose sound like a lot haha, I must have got that wrong but was told approximately 25000 bees. They are almost out of feed at the said ratio above. Should I continue feeding them? As iv only had them three days so surely should

 

[Hombre]

As I understand it, you have received the packages Sunday evening and they were placed into a hive when?

In essence, you need to keep feeding until they have drawn out the frames, maybe swapping the end frames so that you get them drawn. the rate of taking syrup should tail off somewhat.

They need to draw out comb for the queen to lay in and the swarming vigour will only last so for around two weeks, so needs to be harnessed to get the comb drawn and the colony firmly established and the major waxworks done.

I hope that this has been helpful.

Packages have multiple benefits: they are frame type agnostic, they are less likely to to be a source of varroa and brood diseases and it solves a number of logistical problems for the producer who doesn't have to hold stocks of multiple frame types and foundation sizes for what might be a sideline. All your frames and foundation will be new with full confidence that you haven't got old comb with any attendant doubts that you may wish to entertain.

Do your feeding late in the day when the bees have stopped flying and don't disturb them any more than you need to. the first inspection should be two or three weeks from installing the swarm, because that is what a package has become. A brief check for eggs after a week or if the eyesight isn't up to it, after two weeks there should be sealed brood which is very difficult to miss.

Regards