Starvation but refuse feed

[robmort]

My only wooden hive has strong colony but I noticed today that it seems to be starving with few stores and, despite having put a rapid feeder on a week ago, the bees haven't gone near it. The other hives have stores and yet greedily take any feed I give. This hive is also very damp inside with condensation and thousands of breeding woodlice despite insulation above the perspex crown board.

How is it best to get them to feed?

 

[pargyle]

Have you tried dribbling a bit of syrup down the inside of the feeder into the hive - gives them a trail to follow. I couldn't understand why one of my colonies weren't taking the syrup down a year or two ago ... until I realised I'd nudged the feeder off the hole in the crownboard when I put the insulation back and they couldn't get to it ... must have been very frustrating for them ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

My only wooden hive has strong colony but I noticed today that it seems to be starving with few stores and, despite having put a rapid feeder on a week ago, the bees haven't gone near it. The other hives have stores and yet greedily take any feed I give. This hive is also very damp inside with condensation and thousands of breeding woodlice depite the insulation above the perspex crown board.

How is it best to get them to feed?

I would move them out into a dry box first, maybe even a nuc then put fondant on the top bars

 

[Spikedog]

Similar problem with Nucs ... did the usual enticements to draw up to feeder and indeed, up they came but stubbbornly refused the offerings .... Ended up giving them fondant and will nurse through winter. Other than being deficient in stores they appear happy and where temperature allows are are foraging on Ivy.

 

[user 819]

Take a sample of 30 odd bees and carry out a Nosema test, if infected badly they my be unwilling to do anything. If infected spray them with warm syrup with thymol.

 

[madasafish]

Take empty comb and fill one side's cells with sugar syrup.

Place in hive next to brood nest.

They will get used to taste

 

[robmort]

Have you tried dribbling a bit of syrup down the inside of the feeder into the hive - gives them a trail to follow. ...

Yes tried that but no difference. Maybe they have Nosema. a few hundred dead bees on the OMF.
I'll try the other suggestions, thanks.

 

[beebopper]

I mix a teaspoonful of honey (only my own honey) with syrup. They are invariably on it straight away. Always very careful to avoid spilling which could encourage robbing but no problem so far .

 

[Nige.Coll]

Perspex crownboard will generate condensation.

Is it queenright ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Perspex crownboard will generate condensation.

It will if there's no insulation directly above it.

 

[robmort]

If you read the post at the top you'll see the situation with insulation.

It is queenright.

The bees have finally started feeding from the rapid feeder, after a combination of enticement methods above, and many are still weak and lethargic but hopefully that'll improve.