How much feed to give now

[Monbees]

I have started feeding two hives - one a swarm which I housed in May and which initially grew quickly and well with a virgin queen but which now has dwindled and the original newly mated virgin queen is no longer there, although there are eggs and one frame of sealed brood. The other is the hive from which this swarm issued but this original hive never really got going well again although there is a laying queen with eggs and three frames of worker brood, no drone brood that I could see.

As soon as I started feeding both hives the bees seemed ravenous and are getting through the syrup at a rate of knots. I am wondering how much I should give them and for how long? I suppose this is really the beginning of Autumn feeding for these two hives. My thought was to give each of them a chance at making a decent size colony to go into winter, failing much improvement I would unite the two. (I expect some here will say that to unite two not strong hives is not the best idea, just will make one big weak hive). Any advice will be gratefully received.

PS I have not started feeding my other two hives to see if they too are hungry. I do see a lot of foragers on marjoram, lavender, nepeta, scabious, knapweed, meadow cranesbill and rosebay willow herb so I cannot think there is a dearth unless, perhaps, four is too many hives for the available forage?

 

[pargyle]

If you are saying that one hive no longer has a queen then I'd be inclined to combine them into one colony.

I know the weather down where you are has been pretty abyssmal and there are beekeepers not that far from you who have been saying their bees are eating their way through the supers .... but..it's very early to be feeding them up for winter - there should be plenty of forage still around.

Bees will nearly always gobble down syrup, they are opportunists and sugar in a feeder is an easy source - but they will just be storing it in the brood frames and it is not an indication that they are hungry.

Did you check what stores were in the hives before putting the feeder on .. for a small colony one or two frames of stores at this time of the year is enough to keep them going even if the weather is foul for a couple of weeks. From the sounds of what forage there is available around you there should be plenty for them to go at as long as they can get out.

The fact that one hive has dwindled and the other never really got going would worry me .. have you checked for disease or done a varroa count ?

 

[Monbees]

I've fed each hive a couple of litres so will stop now and see how they go. They both seem much more active after feeding - a bit like me. There won't be any honey to take off, so it might be an idea to treat now with apiguard?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've fed each hive a couple of litres so will stop now and see how they go. They both seem much more active after feeding - a bit like me. There won't be any honey to take off, so it might be an idea to treat now with apiguard?

I'd wait a week or two then go for it.