When to encourage queen to lay...

[herefordshirehoney]

I'm in Hereford (South West midlands), temperature is still silly here and not looking good for next 3/4 weeks.

I put some more fondant on just to be safe the weekend gone just incase they could not get to there stores.

When I checked on the only warm day we had their was no brood, when should I think about feeding 1:1 syrup to try to encourage the queen to lay?

I'm on langstroth Poly hive's so in theory should help, but i'm concerned not to put it on too soon, also do I do 2.5l at a time as I dont really want it stored. My instinct would be next weekend to give 3 weeks before may, but ideally it needs two brood cycles I think to get the hive going well which makes me question that. Also if I put it on it's a case do I leave the fondant next too so they two sources, one to en-coverage brood and the other for emergency feed.

I do have OSR on the field next to my bee's that is better than most, but with the weather it's 50/50 probably less whether they can take advantage of this, also I can see the apple orchard starting to come into bloom slowly.

Its good to get them this far with my first over wintering, but very challenging to make the next choices with all this weather. Without this forum I think id be on the phone to the person I got the bee's from all the time.

Thanks

 

[Cazza]

You probably need to think about pollen stores as well. Just sugar syrup won't do the job if there is no pollen for the brood.
Personally I am using Neopoll at present. Normally I would be on nothing or light syrup.
Cazza

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Yes I didnt mention this in my post, there was little pollen stored when I looked on the warm day certainly not enough for brood. My logic in feeding syrup would to encourage hm to lay then hopefully the bees will wake up and get the pollen as they should fly in the warmer days.

For me, buying in neopoll seems an overkill (be it without pollen they cannot raise brood) as I might as well wait till they grow themselves, but hey im learning just my thoughts.

 

[Finman]

When I checked on the only warm day we had their was no brood, when should I think about feeding 1:1 syrup to try to encourage the queen to lay?

Thanks

laying has nothing to do with syrup feeding. Hive is very eager to rear brood in spring, but when it has not enough pollen, it does not rear larvae. It cannot.