Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Understudy on February 19, 2007, 07:29:20 pm

Title: Observations on feeding
Post by: Understudy on February 19, 2007, 07:29:20 pm
As many of you know I have done a couple of cut outs. There was some left over honey comb, ok there was a lot of it. I didn't want to extract it and I didn't want it to go to waste. So I would set it in the yard for my hives to grab. I have noticed a couple of things.
#1. All that honey does not mean they are going to take and store it in their hives.
If you find yourself with a bunch of honeycomb and you let the bees clean it. You will not always find it in the hives.
#2. The number of bees shot through the roof. I have seen the brood count triple. Along with that, comb production is also booming. Bees in my established hives are running the brood count way way up, there are lots of bees. The cutout hives are making comb at a very fast rate and laying lots of eggs. However there are empty  frames that could be used for honey stores and they seem to be getting nothing or pollen. There is honey in the hives just not as much as I thought there would be. The amount is greater but I thought they would take the honey and store it. Instead it appears they are helping rear brood with it.

So my question is does honey mean a honey flow?
Are my observations similar to what you may have seen or maybe I am just not looking at it properly?

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: teebo on February 19, 2007, 07:38:05 pm
will this make them rob more setting honey out in your yard :?
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Kirk-o on February 19, 2007, 08:15:56 pm
I did a cut out the first of January.I hived the bees and put yhem up at the urban farm.I have a top that is 4 inchs high I put on the hive I then put the comb on top of the frames let them eat it and put it away.
kirk-o
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Finsky on February 20, 2007, 09:11:34 am

I have feeded tens of swarms and they start to store syrup at once.
When swarm settle into hive they unload they honey stomach to combs.

Perhaps bees in you honey source are not from your hive.
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Hi-Tech on February 21, 2007, 01:05:47 am
In my experience in the past year, I have noticed that if you place the excess honey a good didtance from the hives, it willnot cause robbing. I have also discovered the benefits of feeding almost year round...
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Understudy on February 21, 2007, 01:40:20 am
I am sure that feeding them year round can do quite a bit but I want the honey I remove not to be from a sugar water mix. So unless a hive is weak I prefer not to feed.  I know others feed them year round also. I have made a choice to not do that.
I am just giving them the honey from my cut outs.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Michael Bush on February 21, 2007, 06:58:05 am
>I have also discovered the benefits of feeding almost year round...

Like what?  I would expect a lot more swarming, adulterated honey, a lot more feeding costs, a lot more robbing...
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: Finsky on February 21, 2007, 07:25:00 am
>I have also discovered the benefits of feeding almost year round...

Like what? 

Good question.....

http://www.wunderground.com/US/AL/Birmingham.html

We have coldest month here and you discover there all year around feeding  there :-X

Hi-Tech  really have lazy bees they they don't want come out from hive.

.
Title: Re: Observations on feeding
Post by: pdmattox on February 21, 2007, 08:04:31 pm

Hi-Tech  really have lazy bees they don't want come out from hive.



Finsky, I think he probaly has the  opposite of that.  I fed mine and have some very big and strong hives to split from.