How Much Feed?

[The Poot]

I have a colony still on double brood, that had no stores at all in the brood boxes. I have removed the supers which had been mostly consumed.
I have fed the colony three times, about three litres of syrup in an English feeder. Each time it has been taken down overnight.
The colony is heaving with bees. Today and since late yesterday afternoon, a lot of bees have been camping out on the landing board and bearding - I assume because the bees are fanning the syrup, being stored?
I‘m concerned I might have overdone it and would appreciate your thoughts. I always have to have something bee related to worry about, so this is it currently.
Cheers,
Poot

 

[Sutty]

I have a colony still on double brood, that had no stores at all in the brood boxes. I have removed the supers which had been mostly consumed.
I have fed the colony three times, about three litres of syrup in an English feeder. Each time it has been taken down overnight.
The colony is heaving with bees. Today and since late yesterday afternoon, a lot of bees have been camping out on the landing board and bearding - I assume because the bees are fanning the syrup, being stored?
I‘m concerned I might have overdone it and would appreciate your thoughts. I always have to have something bee related to worry about, so this is it currently.
Cheers,
Poot

I'd have a look & if the queen still has room to lay not worry about it.
If 2kg sugar to 1l water (makes about 1.6l syrup iirc) that equates to 5.6kg sugar, which does sound quite a lot. Someone with more of a clue than me will be along shortly I'm sure.

 

[Ian123]

Doubt you’ve overdone it….. probably not enough

 

[Erichalfbee]

I‘m concerned I might have overdone it

Look

 

[The Poot]

Look

Concise but adequate

 

[Nannysbees]

I have a colony still on double brood, that had no stores at all in the brood boxes. I have removed the supers which had been mostly consumed.
I have fed the colony three times, about three litres of syrup in an English feeder. Each time it has been taken down overnight.
The colony is heaving with bees. Today and since late yesterday afternoon, a lot of bees have been camping out on the landing board and bearding - I assume because the bees are fanning the syrup, being stored?
I‘m concerned I might have overdone it and would appreciate your thoughts. I always have to have something bee related to worry about, so this is it currently.
Cheers,
Poot

We have given about the same to our double brood hives. We didn't give it all at once, after every feed we had about a week of rain, they were light and the frames empty. Out last feed was yesterday so we are going to hang fire now as there is supposed to be a few nice days coming up, orange pollen piling in today and the sedum is in bloom, they are lighter than the weights from last year and they were on a brood and a half.

 

[Sutty]

Thinking a bit more about it, you would get about 10kg of honey from a reasonably full super. At 20% moisture that's 8kg of sugars, so you've given them less than that.

 

[NiallD]

You say they're on double brood boxes, National, I presume, it's the start of September so you've got about 6 weeks to get the weight up. From your start point there's no danger you have overfed them. That will keep them going while you see what the weather and the ivy will do. Rather than opening them up just try hefting. As Bob Binnie would say, going into winter the boxes should feel like they're full of rocks. Doesn't matter what type of bees they are, they'll arrange things to suit themselves

 

[Garry R]

I was given advice early in my beekeeping journey (46 years ago, by Bernard Mobus) to put on an Ashworth feeder and keep feeding winter strength syrup until they stop taking it. They'll know when they have had enough leaving some in the feeder and still leave room for the queen. It is amazing how quickly the time of year comes when it's too late/cold to feed and get the syrup dried down. Feeding earlyish is a good idea and prevents the syrup stored in too weak a condition and hence avoiding mould and fermentation. Some thymol with the feed also helps with this. His advice has served me well.

 

[user 819]

As others have mentioned if not sure do LOOK , to see the situation inside , likely though if they have little in the way of stores it will be used up pretty quickly to help raise winter brood and ward off starvation.

I use excess saved stores and feed back this time of year if they are low on stores and then wait for the ivy to kick in, before deciding if they need extra wet or a slab of fondant to store. Looking at the ivy here it is nowhere near flouring yet for a another couple of weeks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was given advice early in my beekeeping journey (46 years ago, by Bernard Mobus) to put on an Ashworth feeder and keep feeding winter strength syrup until they stop taking it. They'll know when they have had enough leaving some in the feeder and still leave room for the queen. It is amazing how quickly the time of year comes when it's too late/cold to feed and get the syrup dried down. Feeding earlyish is a good idea and prevents the syrup stored in too weak a condition and hence avoiding mould and fermentation. Some thymol with the feed also helps with this. His advice has served me well.

Early feeding risks leaving the queen no room to lay winter bees as they will take food down till there us no room

Strong colonies will take syrup really late in the season. Just put your hand on the crownboard and see how warm they are.
There’s always fondant if you feel you’re too late with syrup.

 

[NiallD]

Early feeding risks leaving the queen no room to lay winter bees as they will take food down till there us no room

These bees are in a double brood box.....they are very unlikely to run out of room.

 

[The Poot]

Thanks all.
This was the landing board party that caused me a little concern. It went on into the night - well after dark.

This morning and through the day, all is normal.

 

[Erichalfbee]

These bees are in a double brood box.....they are very unlikely to run out of room.

It was a general comment. Perhaps I should have trimmed the quote.

 

[Rory Fields]

Early feeding risks leaving the queen no room to lay winter bees as they will take food down till there us no room

Strong colonies will take syrup really late in the season. Just put your hand on the crownboard and see how warm they are.
There’s always fondant if you feel you’re too late with syrup.

This is partly why I favour fondant, though David Evans whacking 12.5kg on colonies with no heather near is still something I've yet to try despite intending to for the last 3yrs

 

[Mabee]

This is partly why I favour fondant, though David Evans whacking 12.5kg on colonies with no heather near is still something I've yet to try despite intending to for the last 3yrs

I do this but why with no heather near?

 

[Curly green finger's]

This is partly why I favour fondant, though David Evans whacking 12.5kg on colonies with no heather near is still something I've yet to try despite intending to for the last 3yrs

I do it on strong colony’s

 

[Rory Fields]

I do this but why with no heather near?

Because the heather is a late crop and would end up full of supers with a mix of heather honey and fondant in. And my colonies not near heather I treat and feed at the same time, whilst I've obviously gotta treat the geather colonies later

 

[Curly green finger's]

Because the heather is a late crop and would end up full of supers with a mix of heather honey and fondant in. And my colonies not near heather I treat and feed at the same time, whilst I've obviously gotta treat the geather colonies later

I vape mine before they go up to the heather and afterwards.
Supers removed from single brood/ double vaped then put back together.

 

[Mabee]

Because the heather is a late crop and would end up full of supers with a mix of heather honey and fondant in. And my colonies not near heather I treat and feed at the same time, whilst I've obviously gotta treat the geather colonies later

I see, I treat and feed around now when all supers are off so any additional heather goes in the brood box for the bees. All my bees are near the heather so I always have a mix but the weather can suddenly change here.