to feed or not to feed

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BeeJolly

New Bee
Joined
Sep 6, 2009
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Ormskirk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
I am a new bee beek. One thing I have learned is that what ever question you ask everyone has a different answer :) I have had two completely differnt answers to my question and was wanting further advice.

I got a 5 frame nuc 5 weeks ago, they were building up nicely and building wax at a good rate while we were feeding them. Last weekend we put on our first super, we fed them for two more days then removed the food and put in a queen excluder. The first two days showed lots of comb building in the super, in the last five there has been little. They have also stopped drawing out in the brood. I know you aren't supposed to over feed for fear of honey block, but there is only one frame of stores, 12 frames 1 and a hlaf not yet drawn. I am also aware that supers and feeding can cause honey to be of poor unsaleable quality, but I would rather I strengthened the hive to its max this year, getting wax prepared, and didn't worry to much about the honey until next year. any honey we do get to extract I will happily eat myself :)
we live near liverpool and it really hasn't stopped raining in nearly a week so the bees haven't been able to get out to much. I have been informed that at this time of year, especially with the poor weather conditions, bees wont draw wax unless fed and nurtured.

After all my rambling my question is 'To feed or not to feed?"
 
Autumn feeding may be approaching but a bit early yet. They are likely drawing comb slowly if not much forage is going in and in a warmer area (above the brood nest) rather than foundation at the hive ends. If the brood is increasing quickly, they will need lots of food protein and carbohydrate. If both components are not there they will simply store the syrup and not be able to feed more brood anyway.

My smaller colonies are building up slowly; I am content with that, but they are as big as your standard National (IF that is what you have) on only 7 or 8 frqames. Plenty of time provided the weather holds into the autumn. I am more bothered by wasp attack in this coming period.

Your honey will only be sugar syrup this year by the sounds of things. Feed as long as there is not too much blocking the brood area and little going in from foraging. But check out the pollen stores too.

Regards, RAB
 
I would feed as you said like here in Manchester the weather has not been to good. I was tlod today by a fellow beek feeding them will help them draw comb
Ive been feeding mine and all is doing well,With them not doing a lot of flying due to bad weather they need it to keep going untill the dry spell arrives Fingers Crossed bee-smilliebee-smillie
 
There are some pollen stores in the hive,not loads. Should I be spoiling my bees more and buying pollen to feed them up, or is this overkill?
 
When it is summer, don't feed nucs. What it important to small colonies is the heat of the hive.

Nucs are not piggs which will fatten the more the more you feed. Feeding just take away good cell from brood.

It is awfull to be opposite opinion with one hive owner after 47 beekeeping years.

Weather in Manchester? - take off the extra space from the hive, keep ventilation small, use insulated boxes.

When the colony occupyes the whole box it will run with its own.

.

I have had again in this summer here several 3-frame mating nucs and I must take off food frames that the queen has space to lay.

.
 
There are some pollen stores in the hive,not loads. Should I be spoiling my bees more and buying pollen to feed them up, or is this overkill?


You surely have flowers otside and bees forage it when they need it.

And I suppose that you cannot bye pollen from UK.
 

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