new bees to feed

[Simon Solar]

Hi I just got my first ever bees today, delivered and transferred from nuc box to hive, a feeder was put in the hive with some comercial syrup, and I was advised to use a boiled sugar water solution when this is used up. What would be the correct ratio of sugar water for this time of year? The queen was already mated, and todays warm weather seemed to encourage alot of foraging activity. Any advice ?

 

[pargyle]

Hi I just got my first ever bees today, delivered and transferred from nuc box to hive, a feeder was put in the hive with some comercial syrup, and I was advised to use a boiled sugar water solution when this is used up. What would be the correct ratio of sugar water for this time of year? The queen was already mated, and todays warm weather seemed to encourage alot of foraging activity. Any advice ?

Shouldn't need feeding ... as long as they can get out and forage and there is forage in your area then there's plenty of natural bee food out there.

But ... how big was the Nucleus and have you just dumped them into a full size hive ?... If so, unless it was a very big colony, you probably need to reduce the amount of space they have within the hive ... in order to build comb they need to maintain a steady warm temperature in the hive and too big a space to heat is not going to be good for them.

 

[itma]

Simon, to promote comb drawing, you'd feed thin syrup, less than 50% sugar by weight. The normal thing is "1 to 1" - which means a pound of white sugar to a pint of hot/warm water. Don't boil syrup!

Commercial syrup is stronger, as it is designed to be easy for the bees to store. It is ideal as a pre-winter feed - but not so good for encouraging immediate consumption and fuelling wax production.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I was advised to use a boiled sugar water solution

Not the best advice I'm afraid, the sugar solution should not be boiled because it will ruin it. Dissolve white sugar in hot water, stirring until dissolved. Do not boil it.

If your bees do need feeding at this time of year you should use a 1:1 solution, which they can use almost straight away. It will help them draw comb, but don't feed too much because they'll end up storing it and the queen will have nowhere to lay.

In the autumn you should use 2:1 sugar to water.

edit: Sorry, I was slow to reply and I see I've duplicated what's already been said.

 

[ijcooper]

They will store feed given as thin syrup for the winter; or they will use thick if they need to draw comb - but it's more work for them to either dry it out, or dilute it to their needs. Feeding the appropriate strength syrup reduces their workload.

 

[enrico]

I usually give them a couple of pints to get them going and then leave them to it. That's what they do naturally!
E

 

[oliver90owner]

You are now the beekeeper. You feed when necessary - when they are short of stores. Your nuc should have arived with approx two frames of stores. They do not need any more than that at the present time. Think-was there a feeder on them the day beforecyou purchased? I very much doubt it.

Leave them to brood, not store sugar syrup (because that is what they will do, unless needed for brooding. But think here - you are diverting bees from brooding duties to unnecessary wax drawing and storing of sugar syrup, so the bee population increase will be held back by your action of feeding - unless it is necessary.

Bees do not draw wax for no good reason. They do it only for two reasons - space to brood or space to put stores. They are not so stupid as to use waste vast mounts of unnecessary energy and effort doing something that is not going to be used. You need more bees, not more stores. Amount of brooding is usually limited by the number of house bees in small colonies.

 

[Finman]

The queen was already mated, and todays warm weather seemed to encourage alot of foraging activity. Any advice ?

Take the feeder off. Sugar only limits space for brood. Nuc must have enough food with it. Like RAB said


How big is your nuc? 5 frames or what?

How much you have empty frames in the hive? If so, reduce the hive room with dummy board so that it has only one free frame (Foundation?)

Reduce the ventilation. Close the mesh floor.

 

[Finman]

Simon, to promote comb drawing, .

First bees fill the brood combs and then they start to draw more...if they start...

Feeding makes them to swarm, even small colonies.

You seems to have good weathers in Hampshire. Let them take food from nature.

 

[pargyle]

You seems to have good weathers in Hampshire. Let them take food from nature.

Yes ... we have ... but the OP is in Bethania which is in Ceredigion ... West Wales ... not quite as mediterranean as here on the South Coast but I'm sure there's forage still in Westest Wales ...

 

[oliver90owner]

but I'm sure there's forage still in Westest Wales ...

Was there a spelling error there, and it should have read 'wettest Wales' couldn't find an umbrella.

 

[REDWOOD]

West of Wales is usually the wettest, I stood today soaking wet in a middle of a thunder storm watching bees return to their hive, not my usual practice but the storm caught me out as well, I will have to do my eight day inspection tomorrow

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes ... we have ... but the OP is in Bethania which is in Ceredigion ... West Wales ... not quite as mediterranean as here on the South Coast but I'm sure there's forage still in Westest Wales ...

Just spotted that....we must be fairly near neighbours. This is a great area; no OSR and plenty of hedgerow. I'm happier keeping bees here than I was in Cumbria.....less rain AND........we have HB

 

[REDWOOD]

+1

 

[Simon Solar]

Big thanks to everyone for all the replies and advice. The queen was previously mated as I said, and was joined to a hive of bees using a fondant seperator, after spending a few days of getting used to each other these were then delivered to me in a nuc box on six frames, which were then transferred to the centre of the brood box, with additional frames of wax added. The feeder was placed in an empty super above the crown board. A removable board was also placed below the varroa mesh to ease monitoring. I was initially advised to give a more feed when the feeder emptied, but only once as that should be enough, Thanks for letting me know not to boil. I am waiting in anticipation for my first inspection to monitor egg laying and supplies. The weather did turn a bit wet and windy, but they still were busy foraging. Thankyou to everyone!

 

[pargyle]

Just spotted that....we must be fairly near neighbours. This is a great area; no OSR and plenty of hedgerow. I'm happier keeping bees here than I was in Cumbria.....less rain AND........we have HB

It's a lovely part of the world ... just don't tell everyone !!