Too warm to cluster

[domino]

For my own education, what's the min. average temperate most people would feed thick syrup?

 

[Finman]

.
There is no "average temperature" among people. It is usual time when autumn comes on your district. Bees take in syrup quickly, but then they need time to cap the stores. Then often the last feeding when brood have emerged and part if combs are empty.

 

[Eyeman]

In a previous post I reported I have a problem because I took notice of the many "experts" who teach that the bees can't deal with syrup from late September as the temperatures dip at night. Now my colonies are light and getting through fondant at a rate of knots, despite having a full super left on. Lesson learned and won't make the same mistake next year. Just hope I can get them through this Winter.....

Follow Murray McGregor@calluna4u on Twitter. He's a beefarmer and posts regular updates on what he's doing. He was still feeding well into November. If your looking for an 'expert' then look no further.

 

[Finman]

Follow Murray McGregor@calluna4u on Twitter. He's a beefarmer and posts regular updates on what he's doing. He was still feeding well into November. If your looking for an 'expert' then look no further.

Some starts feeding a month earlier, because they have 1000 hives. Time table is different than 10 hive owner's. And where that that McGregor lives, in North or in South?

 

[madasafish]

Some starts feeding a month earlier, because they have 1000 hives. Time table is different than 10 hive owner's. And where that that McGregor lives, in North or in South?

https://twitter.com/calluna4u?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author


North.

 

[birdsandbees]

What weight were they at the end of October when you finished feeding ? if super and most of brood box was full it means they have consumed the best part of 70lb of stores in just under six weeks.

Well, that's the potentially fatal error I've made, I didn't heft/weigh them, I had assumed that they were pulling in Ivy any other late forage so probably didn't give them enough Syrup, I know that each Super was mostly filled which has been fine for the last few years, as I said, I have been more worried about the lack of space in the spring previously.
I say potentially, I'm sure that they will be fine now and continual monitoring will be carried out from now until Spring.

I'll see how much they have munched through at the weekend.

 

[B+.]

https://twitter.com/calluna4u?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author


North.

Canada (Oct) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRgl3MGCS0s

 

[Repwoc]

It looks pretty chilly there, and still feeding syrup in contact feeders. No hive insulation either, as far as I can see.

 

[Finman]

It looks pretty chilly there, and still feeding syrup in contact feeders. No hive insulation either, as far as I can see.

That does not seem very advanced beekeeping. Canadians use Winter insulation too.
.

 

[Spikedog]

Hi B&B, to add a caution – Ivy here is precarious as often frosts curtail bee activity in midst of “flow”. This season was good but perhaps noteworthy and unusual is fact that hives showed weight decrements (one exception) post ivy flurry… a negative cost-benefit effect. All colonies very active up to this bout of bad weather suggests late clustering (note separate thread re same) and stores being used up. Fondant applied to lighter ones and more ordered.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i have commercial and 14x12 hives almost too heavy to lift ( yes i am old though ) Even over winter Buckfast queens 2 from Exmoor and 2 from steeple claydon that were two frame 14x12 nucs in July are now six frame nucs crammed with stores. i will monitor and feed a pollen substitute on my OSR six to 7 weeks before predict OSR flowering which is currently mid April as it is quite advanced

From the brood cappings on the monitor board following oxalic Varrox last weekend 95% have no brood and those that have brood are those i suspect of having nosema

they are currently bringing in charlock pollen self-set in OSR field