Stopping feeding syrup

[Blue Spinnaker]

I am feeding my bees and they're taking it like there's no tomorrow. 24lbs worth of sugar in a 2:1 solution have gone in so far. There are still frames of brood and the queen is still laying.

As Autumn draws in I understand that this becomes more difficult to process and could lead to dysentry. At what point do I switch to fondant? Is there a critical average temperature?

Thank you

 

[drstitson]

"and could lead to dysentry"

only if fermenting, surely. all the more reason to be using HM's thymolated syrup.

 

[BeeNice]

You will need to helf the hive and judge the weight of stores, keep feeding until the bees stop taking down or you think your bees have enough stores, you only need to feed fondant during the winter/late winter if you think the bees are short of stores.
steven

 

[Midland Beek]

And I thought just about every bee book or internet site says feed 1:1 in autumn.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

And I thought just about every bee book or internet site says feed 1:1 in autumn.

eh?

I thought the exact opposite

 

[MuswellMetro]

agree

you need the higher sugar concentration in 2:1 to make it easy for them to store in autumn as the temperature is getting lower and the evaporation gets more difficult

and i have never found a book saying 1:1 in autumn unless mixing the feed with fumidal b

 

[Andy Duff]

The ratios are variable depending on the day/ night temperature. With this indian summer the bees do not have to work too hard to process out the water from the sugar and the weaker solution will not be an easy option so they continue to seek out natural foods including the last of the pollen. Make a thicker solution when the temperature drops or for wet days so they can make an early start in the morning in the hive. Keep bees busy inside and outside the hive and the numbers will stay higher for longer thus reducing the length of winter down time. Fondant in late autumn and winter gives the bees something to do, so as long as the bees keep active the queen will keep the population high.

 

[Finman]

.
Feed the hive as much as it take it in one week. Then keep a pause that bees may emerge.

Prolonged feeding irritate brooding and that is not good in autumn.

Then look inside what it looks like. You learn from it. When brood have all emerged give a final dose of food.

Hives start brooding againg when feeded even if they have stopped it. Couple of brood frames are normal after feeding.

 

[Finman]

.
Autumn feeding has nothing special. If bees has almost emerged, you may get through the feeding in one week.

One box hive suck itself full in couple of days.

 

[For want of a better word]

FEED 2:1 THYMOLATED TO THEM AS MUCH AS THEY WANT, PUT A SUPER ON TOP TO TAKE THE STORES AND ANY IVY FLOW

When the pollen stops coming in. put the super of stores under the BB(s) remove QE, close down the entrance fit a moose guard, put a carpet tile on top of the crown board with a hole over the feeder hole, place a clear tub of fondant over the feeder hole on top of carpet tile, eke if required, roof. Strap the lot together to prevent badger attack ( or larger elk/deer/ moose ( larger ones) buffalo wild hog or anything else that would topple hive.... and then LEAVE IT ALONE TILL SPRING... unless you feel the need to check fondant.... if the fondant melts it leave a delightful stickky goo the bees love to lick up on the carpet tile!

NO OA ? ............... the controversy rages on !


IMO of course
(TIN HAT AT THE READY!!)

 

[Finman]

.
And what ever who ever tells you to do, DO IT!. Keep going. Never stop.

After 48 years I have done perhaps 1% of that information
what I have learned in this forum about syrup making and feeding.
There is so much to do.

My learning curve is in good shape. It is going up like a rocket!

To mix hot water and sugar. It a huge job! A good action plan helps in it.

 

[WelshPaul]

So many different answers, feed till they stop, feed for two weeks, feed and keep feeding, oh god. For a newbee you don't know what is best.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.730630,-3.151943

 

[dpround]

I'd say take advantage of the warm weather and inspect. The local bee inspector persuaded me to do just that and it turned out that the frames were chock full of brood and stores. There is no way they would have got the amount of winter feed in that I had planned in. We put the super back on instead and took the feed away since they seem to have found some basam and the ivy is just starting to flower!

I think I was fooled that the bees were giving up for winter when what really happened was supercedure. I haven't seen the marked queen for a few inspections...

How late / how low a temperature can you feed 2:1 syrop in a contact feeder?

David

 

[BeeNice]

So many different answers, feed till they stop, feed for two weeks, feed and keep feeding, oh god. For a newbee you don't know what is best.

I can understand about the confusion so many have the correct answer and thats it. It works for them in that year, each year is different as this late warm weather proves. I started feeding and now I will hold off until the weather changes for the worst again, helfing hives to estimate the stores. You need to make up you own mind, take in the info and work it out for yourself, there are no magic answers. Have a look at the hive entrance and see how active your bees are, if they are bringing in and how often. As long as the hives have good stores go into winter your bees will be fine, you can alway feed fondant later if need be.
Cheers
Steven