Summer feeding

[Swiftgrade]

I’m in my first year of beekeeping; can I check that I am not making a stupid mistake?

I have two colonies. Where I am in Cumbria June and early July have been something of a wash out (lots of rain and a temperature hovering around 14c). On inspection each colony has had a continuing reduction in honey over the course of the last month. I had put supers on at the end of May, but the bees were not touching them and the amount of honey in the Brood Boxes was getting lower by the week.

In the last couple of days both colonies suddenly became extremely aggressive and I inspected. Neither colony had any honey at all stored. In the circumstances I assume that they are starving so I have removed the supers and given them both 3 litres of 1:1 syrup. It feels very odd to be feeding them in the middle of summer: have I made an error?

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I’m in my first year of beekeeping; can I check that I am not making a stupid mistake?

I have two colonies. Where I am in Cumbria June and early July have been something of a wash out (lots of rain and a temperature hovering around 14c). On inspection each colony has had a continuing reduction in honey over the course of the last month. I had put supers on at the end of May, but the bees were not touching them and the amount of honey in the Brood Boxes was getting lower by the week.

In the last couple of days both colonies suddenly became extremely aggressive and I inspected. Neither colony had any honey at all stored. In the circumstances I assume that they are starving so I have removed the supers and given them both 3 litres of 1:1 syrup. It feels very odd to be feeding them in the middle of summer: have I made an error?

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As long as you don't expect any honey this year you're not doing anything wrong and it sounds as though your bees are short of food. Hopefully forage will become available again pretty soon and they can pick up and feed themselves. In the meantime keep an eye on things and if they empty the feeders without any stores build up you may need to feed a bit more. The risk is in hives that are expected to produce honey the bees store the sugar syrup in the honey stores and degrade the product.

 

[madasafish]

I’m in my first year of beekeeping; can I check that I am not making a stupid mistake?

I have two colonies. Where I am in Cumbria June and early July have been something of a wash out (lots of rain and a temperature hovering around 14c). On inspection each colony has had a continuing reduction in honey over the course of the last month. I had put supers on at the end of May, but the bees were not touching them and the amount of honey in the Brood Boxes was getting lower by the week.

In the last couple of days both colonies suddenly became extremely aggressive and I inspected. Neither colony had any honey at all stored. In the circumstances I assume that they are starving so I have removed the supers and given them both 3 litres of 1:1 syrup. It feels very odd to be feeding them in the middle of summer: have I made an error?

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It sounds the correct decision and action...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Spot on
I would have used more concentrated syrup but sugar is sugar.
Well done

 

[Swarm]

(Depending where you are)
This season hasn't been a good one and you were spot on with your action.

 

[Angry_Mob]

I had to feed two small hives myself this week as little to no stores; the other hives with supers had went backwards.