thick bees

[Mint Bee]

My bees being feed on syrup are obvious not the brightest. Some still taking a gallon every 2/3 days. Do they not understand that they are no suppose to according to todays guidance

'unless it is exceptionally warm, it is getting too late to feed colonies with syrup; they are unlikely to be able to process it and reduce its content for safe storage'

Then next sentence

'However, they might be foraging on ivy, Himalayan balsam and late-blooming flowers'

if it wasn't so shiny, it would have been torn into suitably sized pieces and let next to the WC to at least have some use

 

[Sutty]

My bees being feed on syrup are obvious not the brightest. Some still taking a gallon every 2/3 days. Do they not understand that they are no suppose to according to todays guidance

'unless it is exceptionally warm, it is getting too late to feed colonies with syrup; they are unlikely to be able to process it and reduce its content for safe storage'

Then next sentence

'However, they might be foraging on ivy, Himalayan balsam and late-blooming flowers'

if it wasn't so shiny, it would have been torn into suitably sized pieces and let next to the WC to at least have some use

Leave it under the crown board once you have finished feeding so they can read it.
We could have a petition for it to be printed on soft paper.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My bees being feed on syrup are obvious not the brightest. Some still taking a gallon every 2/3 days. Do they not understand that they are no suppose to according to todays guidance

'unless it is exceptionally warm, it is getting too late to feed colonies with syrup; they are unlikely to be able to process it and reduce its content for safe storage'

who wrote that rubbish?
I haven't even started feeding mine yet

 

[Mint Bee]

started feeding last week as the ivy came into flower. usual recycled *****. lazy editing. encourages beekeeping by calendar rather than being active in the process. WTF are the bees doing with nectar coming in?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

started feeding last week as the ivy came into flower. usual recycled *****. lazy editing. encourages beekeeping by calendar rather than being active in the process. WTF are the bees doing with nectar coming in?

A couple of my 14 x 12 polyhives are so heavy I'm not even going to try hefting them and now the ivy is in bloom they probably don't need feeding. I'll have a squint through the clear crownboards and make an assessment in a couple of weeks.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I saved this from Mr. McGregor on his twitter thread:

26 September
"These were only fed yesterday...full feed...some have already taken half of it and drawing comb. Full feeder holds about 13 litres..depending on slope on hive...so at 1.4kg per litre thats around 18kg of syrup.....ripens down to 14kg of stores. Enough till spring."

I've one National BB that has got through 7-8 litres of 1:1. Still a few litres to go then.

 

[ericbeaumont]

One colony were without a few frames for five days and drew these two in the void. Empty, but would have been filled with ivy before long.

 

[Do224]

I saved this from Mr. McGregor on his twitter thread:

26 September
"These were only fed yesterday...full feed...some have already taken half of it and drawing comb. Full feeder holds about 13 litres..depending on slope on hive...so at 1.4kg per litre thats around 18kg of syrup.....ripens down to 14kg of stores. Enough till spring."

I've one National BB that has got through 7-8 litres of 1:1. Still a few litres to go then.

So you and he feed 1:1 rather than 2:1 at this time of year?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So you and he feed 1:1 rather than 2:1 at this time of year?

it doesn't really matter what ratio you use - another great 'rule' made up by the usual suspects about what one should use in winter or summer

 

[Sutty]

Though it must take less "evaporation space", and thus leave more brooding space, the more concentrated it is.
I'm currently feeding back a couple of buckets of 24% water "honey".

 

[Do224]

it doesn't really matter what ratio you use - another great 'rule' made up by the usual suspects about what one should use in winter or summer

Fair enough. It does seem twice the work feeding 1:1 though, as I guess it’s twice as many trips to top up the feeders and twice as many cans of syrup to mess about with. Can’t see why you wouldn’t just use 2:1 on that basis alone…especially if you have as many hives as Mr McGregor

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can’t see why you wouldn’t just use 2:1 on that basis alone

I tend to use invert regardless of the time of day - they build comb just as quickly with it as the 'regulation' 1:1

 

[Murox]

...does seem twice the work feeding 1:1 though, as I guess it’s twice as many trips to top up the feeders and twice as many cans of syrup to mess about with. Can’t see why you wouldn’t just use 2:1 on that basis alone...

I feed 2:1 all the time, never been a problem. If I had a cheap way of transporting invert I would actually use that instead.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

So you and he feed 1:1 rather than 2:1 at this time of year?

I've been using 1kg sugar:1 litre water (ish). I'll let others debate the equivalent ounces and gills. Don't know what Mr McGregor uses.
Just useful that @Into the lions den sees 13litres become 14kg/30lbs of stores. And that that is what they need for winter. Big feeder.
My lot, in my sheltered southern garden, drop less than 20lbs overwinter (end Oct - end March). Though having bought a couple of Jolanta queens this year I may have to keep an eye on them.

No expert on feeding, I'm not trying to extract the maximum profit. I'm only feeding one colony at the moment. A late nuc to which I've added frames to make up a brood box. Mostly I leave them with a super of their own stores and they top up on the ivy.

 

[Chris Hancock]

It would seem that a weaker solution would need more work to evaporate the water from it, so I do get inverted syrup, at this time of year, when it's a bit colder. I have been told that the weaker solution is better to promote comb building. Of course, different people have different ideas!

 

[Mint Bee]

It would seem that a weaker solution would need more work to evaporate the water from it, so I do get inverted syrup, at this time of year, when it's a bit colder. I have been told that the weaker solution is better to promote comb building. Of course, different people have different ideas!

you have been told incorrectly then . It's another myth propagated by people who don't know any better . Read Murry's accounts and you will see he uses invert in Scotland to get comb drawn in the autumn feed, into November if the weathers reasonable. If the bees need feeding, they need feeding. What they are fed and at what concentration is an artifact of human intervention. People who make a living from bees have usually fine-tuned the art to cut out any waste. Those with 1 or 2 might try different options, but N=2 is hardly a validation of a method.

Same to be said to some extent with the mantra of only feeding fondant to starving bees in the summer, as this won't make it into supers, unlike syrup. feed small amounts and unless any feed is removed and used up before a flow (re)starts this is BS.

25 Kg bag into 50lt container. add water, blitz and if it doesn't all dissolve, add a bit more water, repeat until it's all dissolves so a bit less than a saturated solution. Feed to bees

life's too short to be measuring out to 2 decimal places!!

 

[Into the lions den]

I've been using 1kg sugar:1 litre water (ish). I'll let others debate the equivalent ounces and gills. Don't know what Mr McGregor uses.
Just useful that @Into the lions den sees 13litres become 14kg/30lbs of stores. And that that is what they need for winter. Big feeder.
My lot, in my sheltered southern garden, drop less than 20lbs overwinter (end Oct - end March). Though having bought a couple of Jolanta queens this year I may have to keep an eye on them.

No expert on feeding, I'm not trying to extract the maximum profit. I'm only feeding one colony at the moment. A late nuc to which I've added frames to make up a brood box. Mostly I leave them with a super of their own stores and they top up on the ivy.

Its not quite that straightforward...bear in mind we do autumn comb replacement ...so our broodboxes are LIGHT and they have some comb to draw. Also dont want them arriving in sporing on a stores knifedge. We have a lot of issues with spring and in season feeding due to scrutiny from honey authenticity tests.....even a small amount moved by the bees....and they do...is now found at packers inbound testing level. And using cane is now a total no no....as its a C4 sugar which should not be found in temperate latitude honey. So we over strip compared to most, and feed enough so that starvation is not imminent in spring but not enough left to be evicted into honey supers and harm the analyses. Working the bulk trade gives us issues most dont have to concern themselves with.

You Jolanta queens should not be 'hungry' types. She does keep a couple of Buckfast strains for those who prefer them, and those DO tend to be heavier on stores that the darker ones, but nothin severe.

 

[Into the lions den]

you have been told incorrectly then . It's another myth propagated by people who don't know any better . Read Murry's accounts and you will see he uses invert in Scotland to get comb drawn in the autumn feed, into November if the weathers reasonable. I

We have stopped using invert. Price rather than quality issue. We have a big tank and buy in sugar from British Sugar in bulk and make our own c 2:1 syrup in 3 tonne batches for a LOT less than invert.

But yes..we can get comb drawn readily throughout October, and even to late November in poly.

 

[Sutty]

Its not quite that straightforward...bear in mind we do autumn comb replacement ...so our broodboxes are LIGHT and they have some comb to draw. Also dont want them arriving in sporing on a stores knifedge. We have a lot of issues with spring and in season feeding due to scrutiny from honey authenticity tests.....even a small amount moved by the bees....and they do...is now found at packers inbound testing level. And using cane is now a total no no....as its a C4 sugar which should not be found in temperate latitude honey. So we over strip compared to most, and feed enough so that starvation is not imminent in spring but not enough left to be evicted into honey supers and harm the analyses. Working the bulk trade gives us issues most dont have to concern themselves with.

You Jolanta queens should not be 'hungry' types. She does keep a couple of Buckfast strains for those who prefer them, and those DO tend to be heavier on stores that the darker ones, but nothin severe.

It's reassuring that syrup is spotted - i guess the Chinese "adulterers" have other tricks! In fact I've read you can buy syrup from some Chinese suppliers specifically advertised as not being detected on testing

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Its not quite that straightforward...bear in mind we do autumn comb replacement ...so our broodboxes are LIGHT and they have some comb to draw. Also dont want them arriving in sporing on a stores knifedge. We have a lot of issues with spring and in season feeding due to scrutiny from honey authenticity tests.....even a small amount moved by the bees....and they do...is now found at packers inbound testing level. And using cane is now a total no no....as its a C4 sugar which should not be found in temperate latitude honey. So we over strip compared to most, and feed enough so that starvation is not imminent in spring but not enough left to be evicted into honey supers and harm the analyses. Working the bulk trade gives us issues most dont have to concern themselves with.

You Jolanta queens should not be 'hungry' types. She does keep a couple of Buckfast strains for those who prefer them, and those DO tend to be heavier on stores that the darker ones, but nothin severe.

It would be good if the supermarkets could use the same testing on their very cheap honey!