When to start feeding sugar syrup? and How much is required?

[john1]

Hi,
Is it the right time to start feeding sugar syrup or should I leave it until October?
I hope I have to remove all the supers and start feeding.
How much sugar syrup should I feed a hive?
Thanks,

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much have they got in the brood box?
Are the supers still on?
Are you treating for varroa?

 

[enrico]

Buy a set of luggage scales.put two screws in the back sides of the floor. Get a small chain that goes between the screws. Take the roof off. Lift the chain with the luggage scales. Feed until it reads 20lbs minimum. That is presuming you are using a wooden national brood box.

 

[Swarm]

Hi,
Is it the right time to start feeding sugar syrup or should I leave it until October?
I hope I have to remove all the supers and start feeding.
How much sugar syrup should I feed a hive?
Thanks,

Are your supers capped and ready to harvest? Get clearer boards on and remove them for extracting. When you remove the supers, heft the brood box to see how they are for stores and if it feels a bit light get a feeder of syrup on.
What varroa treatment are you using?

 

[john1]

How much have they got in the brood box?
Are the supers still on?
Are you treating for varroa?

Hi,
My brood box has only 9 frames - not sure whether I need one more frame with foundation in the brood? Out of the 9 frames 3 of them have honey and others are like half honey and half eggs/empty.

I have 1 super on and planning to extract the honey before I start feeding sugar syrup.

I am planning to leave 2 strips of Apivar immediately after removing the supers for 8-10 weeks.
Thanks

 

[Swarm]

Was this a 2022 nuc? It sounds like you gave them the super too soon, before they finished drawing all the brood frames. They often ignore outside frames and will work on what is directly above the nest.

 

[john1]

I made a split and I did not have enough brood frames to fill.
So, I left it like that.

 

[enrico]

You need to fill any gaps with frames before you start feeding them or you will get wild comb built in every space. You are lucky they haven't already done that

 

[john1]

Thanks,
Is it safe to leave the sugar syrup feeding until the last week of October?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks,
Is it safe to leave the sugar syrup feeding until the last week of October?
Thanks

Yes but I would feed Invert rather than syrup. warm it and surround the feeder with insulation.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is it safe to leave the sugar syrup feeding until the last week of October?

I would say no, you would be cutting it a little fine - unless you are using invert syrup

 

[Michael Palmer]

Is the super mostly full? You could leave it on for the bee's winter feed. I would for sure.

 

[The Poot]

The weather could easily catch you out at the end of October - I’d leave it on for the bees

 

[enrico]

I like to get my feeding done by the middle of October and I am in the south. They need to evaporate a lot of water off

 

[Amari]

Is the super mostly full? You could leave it on for the bee's winter feed. I would for sure.

Good advice but make sure you remove the Q-excluder - over winter the bees will follow the stores and the Q could get left behind in the BB and perish.
Alternatively you could nadir the super - see this thread;
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/what-to-do-with-half-filled-super-frames.53844/

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

make sure you remove the Q-excluder - over winter the bees will follow the stores and the Q could get left behind in the BB and perish.

or more likely, the bees would not leave the queen behind and stay with her - starving within inches of the stores

 

[john1]

Good advice but make sure you remove the Q-excluder - over winter the bees will follow the stores and the Q could get left behind in the BB and perish.
Alternatively you could nadir the super - see this thread;
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/what-to-do-with-half-filled-super-frames.53844/

I have not done nadir before, but will try it with the half filled frames.
Thanks

 

[enrico]

I have not done nadir before, but will try it with the half filled frames.
Thanks

Be careful when you lift the brood box, you need to make sure it leaves the floor and any entrance reducer behind! It is easy to lift the lot and then not realise until the floor drops onto the ground or you go to put the super where the floor should be. I only mention it because I constantly make the same mistake!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Be careful when you lift the brood box, you need to make sure it leaves the floor and any entrance reducer behind! It is easy to lift the lot and then not realise until the floor drops onto the ground or you go to put the super where the floor should be. I only mention it because I constantly make the same mistake!

I move the hive aside, put a new floor in its place then the super then move the brood onto it.

 

[user 20297]

I move the hive aside, put a new floor in its place then the super then move the brood onto it.

Fewer or no crushed bees that way.