Surplus Sugar Stores

[Cars]

At the end of last summer when I started feeding, I left a super on one of my hives. This was primarily as there were so many bees when I removed the other supers I wanted to leave some space. Anyway, they duly took plenty of syrup down and filled the brood box and a super. So after a mild winter where they consumed stores from the brood box, I have been left with a super filled with sugar based stores.

Given that I have OSR nearby that is about to flower I need this super and its frames. So I have today extracted the contents and have them in a bucket.

I would appreciate guidance / views / comments on how this can be best used. I assume that it is not deemed to be honey ? Is it suitable for cooking, do I save it and feed it back in the autumn ? Or do I just spread it on bread and eat it myself !!

As ever I would very much appreciate comments. Thanks in advance.

 

[John_W]

Taking away stores

If your colony has eaten the stores in the brood box and you have just removed the stores that were in the super. Do they have enough stores to survive till the first proper flows come on?

I had 12 lb my first year of having anything to extract, as i suspected it was mostly sugar due to feeding in that year in error, it was consumed by me and my family. You can consume it your self but you could get into trouble if you tried to pass it off as honey. As it isn't.

However depending how much stores the colony have, you could feed it back to them in a feeder if they are light (see my first comment).

Edit, remember, you have had a long dry drought down your way.. will the OSR be likley to produce the usual heavy nectar crop?

 

[Finman]

, do I save it and feed it back in the autumn ?

That is a good way. Don't make it more difficult. It was good that you get the stuff out.

If you get swarm or artificial swarm, you may feed 5 kg to it.

.

 

[Cars]

Thanks for the comments. I checked hives this afternoon and am comfortable there is enough stores in this one, another that already has a super on it is starting to be flled, so there is forage around.

I spoke to the farmer earlier and he is happy with the amount of moisture in the ground at the moment. There are about 450 acres with only my two hives !! I think the priority will be to ready with supers and sufficient kit for artificial swarms.

In the meantime it looks like lots of Honey Cakes !

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

How much to feed

As the temperatures are still very up and down at the moment, it was only 2degrees here in Chester this morning and its given it to be 18 degs tomorrow.
Using a weak syrup at this time of the year of course, how much is enough? One colony has used half a gallon in 6 days and another has used a full gallon in the same time. Im intending to build up the colonies to bursting point and do a split and queen rearing program as per PH's instructions on "Easy Queen Rearing". Thats asuming they dont burst off before I get to them !! as they did last year, being that some colonies are Carnies.

Dave W

 

[FreeFall]

This is my first spring with bees </disclaimer>

Two weeks ago I took a peek under the coverboard. It was the first time I'd opened up since oxalic on January 2nd and I found all frames in the half-brood completely full of stores (I'd left them a full super over, as half-brood, in autumn and didn't feed any syrup - they also didn't get any fondant over winter).

It was a warm day and they were piling in the pollen, which I think is willow. I didn't fancy digging in the lower box, so to make sure there was enough room I took out a couple of full frames and replaced them with drawn comb.

I went to check the half-brood again yesterday and all but two of the super frames were completely empty of honey. There's no robbing going on because every bee entering the hive is loaded with pollen. Am I to surmise that they have moved the stores down into the lower box, therefore closer to the brood? I recall seeing bees with their heads in cells, looking very busy - at the time I thought they were bringing it in, but now realise that they were either moving it, eating it or feeding it to brood.

Forecast for tomorrow is for 19 degrees and calm, so I'm going to take a peek downstairs and check it out. I also saw eggs and larvae in the upper box yesterday, a very small arc on the middle two frames, so Q seems to be fine. I'll swap the stores back in as well, I couldn't do it today as they were in the freezer. Sugar is on the shopping list in case I need to feed...

@ Dave W - that's my plan too, albeit on a much smaller scale.


Nick