Queens slowing down now?

[Do224]

I understand that queens begin to reduce their laying from now on.

If you have a colony that you’re trying to build up for winter can you keep the queen going by feeding syrup?

I presume it would be a case of feeding little and often…say three quarters of a litre per week for a colony currently on 6 or 7 frames?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you have a colony that you’re trying to build up for winter can you keep the queen going by feeding syrup?

no, it goes with the time of year, feeding syrup is only going to end up with the brood nest getting stores bound

 

[enrico]

Let the bees do their own thing. All you need to do is make sure they have enough stores for winter and you don't have to worry about that until September. As long as they have some stores between now and then they will sort out their numbers

 

[ericbeaumont]

As long as they have some stores between now and then

The UK is heading into an August drought and the few useful forage plants at this time may provide nothing, in which case expect queens to go off lay for quite a while.

As bees won't uncap stores to feed a queen to keep her laying, syrup is the answer.

the brood nest getting stores bound

Heed JBM's warning, because the last thing you want is syrup in brood combs.

Look at it this way: if you decide to feed, see what they do with it and let us know.

 

[rolande]

I understand that queens begin to reduce their laying from now on.

If you have a colony that you’re trying to build up for winter can you keep the queen going by feeding syrup?

colony currently on 6 or 7 frames?

Yes, you've got 6 weeks of ideal comb building conditions. What else are the bees going to be doing in that time? Get some frames in there and get them working, you'll find you get some really nice comb built and it'll come with extra young bees before winter too. Letting them sit, kicking their heels on 6 or 7 frames at this time of year seems pointless to me.

 

[Do224]

Yes, you've got 6 weeks of ideal comb building conditions. What else are the bees going to be doing in that time? Get some frames in there and get them working, you'll find you get some really nice comb built and it'll come with extra young bees before winter too. Letting them sit, kicking their heels on 6 or 7 frames at this time of year seems pointless to me.

Thanks. Are you suggesting I feed them or just move some undrawn frames within the brood nest?

 

[rolande]

Thanks. Are you suggesting I feed them or just move some undrawn frames within the brood nest?

Feed them, get them working.

 

[ericbeaumont]

feed them or just move some undrawn frames within the brood nest?

I'd say do both and see what happens.

 

[Do224]

Feed them, get them working.

I'd say do both and see what happens.

How much feed…roughly? I’d be guessing completely, but was thinking three quarters of a litre of 1:1 once per week…

I don’t want to give them too much and clog them up, having the opposite affect on the queen

 

[rolande]

How much feed…roughly? I’d be guessing completely, but was thinking three quarters of a litre of 1:1 once per week…

I don’t want to give them too much and clog them up, having the opposite affect on the queen

That's one for you to work out as you go unfortunately, what I should have mentioned in my previous post is to add the new frames into the brood nest one at a time, if you just fill the gap with them then they proba ly will just be filled with stores from the start.

 

[enrico]

To add to your thoughts, when you start feeding the bees are not aware that you are doing that. They think there is a flow on and will adjust accordingly. Continued feeding will result in the queen laying more. If you stop and start you have to think what message you are giving them. Try and think what you would do if you were a bee

 

[magor]

can you keep the queen going by feeding syrup?

if your area is heading in to drought period(as beaumont wrote about UK) then you have to look your current larvae brood and if float in jelly( good nutrition) then syrup may in favor, but Queens - bees and brood food is jelly so to keep Q going need to be on pollen flow or feed pollen patties high protein levels alongside syrup!! lack of pollen or and low value of protein pollen can lead on poor brood nutrition and thats more bad than less brood but healhty or and no brood at all and either less economy for yourself too

nectar or syrup alone is them energy drink to do wing things and which is good for either more stores either irritate them wax glands for new drawn combs depends on your colony strength and the right population for wax glands

 

[ericbeaumont]

lack of pollen or and low value of protein pollen can lead on poor brood nutrition and thats more bad than less brood

Good point, Magor.

Pollen may be less of an issue because they've been piling it in since spring.
Some of my triple BB colonies have 80% pollen in the bottom box. Even singles have a lot.

What's your pollen status, Do224?

 

[Do224]

What's your pollen status, Do224?

They look to have a reasonable amount in the frames and I can see bees coming home with plenty…