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Author Topic: Bees not taking sugar water  (Read 21787 times)

Offline Greg Peck

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Bees not taking sugar water
« on: October 28, 2006, 01:00:36 am »
Hello all, I am new to beekeeping and love reading all these post.

My question is that my bees (I only have one hive) have not been taking the sugar water that I have been giving them. The Bee Inspector was here several weeks back and gave the hive a good bill of health but told me to keep feeding them as much as possible because their stores were not up to par. I have been feeding 1to1 sugar water with 2 table spoons of cider vinegar in a gallon pail feeder sitting on the top of the frames (inspectors instructions). Over the past 4 or 5 weeks they have only taken about 1 gallon. I change it out routinely . When I change it out there are allways bees "eating" out of the feeder. I know that they will not take it if they are gathering from other sources but it has been pretty cold and has frosted several time here in central Pa, I have not seen much out of hive activity.  The last inspection with the inspector showed several frames completely empty with very little capped honey in the top hive body. Is this ok? Am I screwing something up?

Thanks in advance for any input or suggestions.

Greg
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2006, 02:34:06 am »
When you feed for winter, give syrup 1:2  during one week as much as they take.

Then when you are new beekeeper, look inside what is there. How much bees have stored, capped food and how much brood.

Vinegar is not necessary in winterfood.

So, look first inside and we know more.

Offline Robo

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2006, 08:46:40 am »
Greg,

If your worried about them not having enough stores,  You can build a sugar board.
http://robo.hydroville.com/v12/content/view/20/2/

Or just make some hard candy to feed in an emergency
http://robo.hydroville.com/v12/content/view/23/2/

Either way, they can get to the food when it is cold and you don't have to worry about them suffering from dysentery from all the liquid.
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2006, 09:16:57 am »
Robo, syrub is the easiest way to give winter food to bees. One box hive take whole winterfood in couple of days.

No promlem is somewhere else if bees have not got enough food in 4 weeks.  

It is better to him to look into hive than we give bad answers.

Offline Robo

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2006, 09:34:46 am »
Quote from: Finsky
Robo, syrub is the easiest way to give winter food to bees.


I agree, but easiest is not always most full proof way for a beginner.   Feeding too thin of syrup too late in the year is the easiest way to get dysentery.  I agree he should look into the hive and see.  But if he is still concerned,  providing hard candy for insurance is harmless.  If they don't need it, they won't eat it, and it provides no harm like syrup.

You have seen many times where beginners become too attached to their bees treating them as pets.  Although they are good intended I believe they tend to over feed and doing so with syrup is not good for hive moisture.
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2006, 10:01:29 am »
Difficult to know. Bees have had one month time to fill their hive.  I guess that it is full and that is why they do not take.

Offline Michael Bush

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2006, 01:10:41 pm »
Sometimes the bees just have to make up their mind to do something.  Like take syrup, or move up to the next box etc.  When it's cold they won't take syrup.  If the syrup is warm they will take more.  I'd make 2:1 (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for winter feed.
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2006, 01:39:08 pm »
I have had many hives which have started their wintering and do not take syrup. I have poured syrup into combs and I have put box full of syrup under their box. They are obliged to move it upp.

But feed in autumn with dry sugar or with candy, it is odd idea. Bees must work harly before they can dilute dry sugar. They have to get water from bonds. If you give 66% syrup bees start to carry drinking water.

Offline Greg Peck

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2006, 10:22:06 pm »
Thanks for the replies. I opened the hive today to remove apistan strips, to check on their stores  and to make sure that I had not screwed them up by giving them 1to1 syrup. The hive consist of two hive bodies and two empty suppers to cover the pail feeder.  Early in September I have swapped the hive bodies due to the top one being heavy and the bottom one being very light. The bees did not have much stores at that time. Today I noted that the top HB had good amount of liquid in the cells but not much capped off. I did not pull any of the bottom HB’s frames out as it was only about 56 degrees out and the bees were not to happy. I could see that  the top of all the frames were capped off as far down as I could see.  I put a pail of 2to1 syrup on and closed things up.


Robo - these bees are my pets and I have each one named. There is Mary, Beth, Jen, Sara, Tiffany……… LOL just joking. I dont think they are pets, but they are my first bees and I would like to see them make it through the winter.

Thanks guys,
Greg
 
Here are a few pics that I took today. You can see more and full sized pics here


This is how I am feeding them


Top of bottom HB


Capped cells in bottom HB


Top of top HB
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Offline Robo

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2006, 12:41:10 am »
Quote from: Greg Peck

Robo - these bees are my pets and I have each one named. There is Mary, Beth, Jen, Sara, Tiffany……… LOL just joking. I dont think they are pets, but they are my first bees and I would like to see them make it through the winter.


Greg,

My statement was not meant to condemn or criticize.  I too am into beekeeping because I enjoy it and use it to escape from the hectic, stressful world I live in.   Finsky on the otherhand is in it as a business and to make money.  There is nothing wrong with either, but the goals you have is what dictates how you will manage them.   Time is money in a business model, whereas you and I can spend all the time we want with our bees.  One thing that we struggle with on these forums is to realize that our goals may not be the same as the person asking for help and therefore our methods (although best for us) may not be the best for them.

Good luck.
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2006, 01:06:43 am »
Grek. it seems that you have not enough bees fo two box for winter.

You should look through the hive. At least you may take another box away and winter in one box.

Pick upp brood frames and capped frames. Put them into on ebox and let bees crawl there.

If you had enough bees for two box, you cannot see upper frames.

Perhaps reason to you "not take syrup" - hive is that colony is small and is  able to keep warm only a part of hive.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2006, 07:22:43 pm »
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar to a gallon of 1:1 syrup?
I would suggest cutting the vinegar by at least half and going to 2:1 syrup.  
I use 1 teaspoon to a gallon of 1:1 syrup and the bees take it readily--2 tablesppons is 4 times as much; which could turn the mixture too acidic for the bees.
Trying lowering the vinegar and then monitoring their intake.  
It could also be, as suggested, that the bees have reduced their consumption rate due to having already taken enough stores.
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2006, 04:35:27 am »
Grek, your combs seem very dark and old. Next summer you should get foundations and arrange to them new combs in brood area.

Offline Greg Peck

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2006, 07:58:34 am »
I cant find where I read to use 2 table spoons of vinegar but I did read it somewhere. When I looked at the hive the other day I put on 1:2 with no vinegar. Thanks for the info

I bought this hive from a local beekeeper who needed to get out of beekeeping due to a family death. I got it in September but it had not had any upkeep done to it all year due to this gentleman’s family problems. I don’t know if you can see in the pics but the bottom HB is the halflap joint type and the joints are coming apart and it looks like water is getting to the wood . So the hive needs some work, I built new hive bodies already and am just waiting for spring to switch them out. I will be changing out the foundation as well. The idea for me was to buy these bees to learn about them so that next year I can set up several hives and hopefully have most of the newbee mistakes out of the way.  

I am building my new hives out  of poplar wood  due to the cost. I cam build 2 HB,  2 med Supers, outer cover, and bottom board for the same cost as one HB from the catalogs. Not including cost for time but woodworking is my other hobby so that is not a problem. Do you see any problems with using poplar wood. It gets painted anyway so I could not see why it would be a problem.

Thanks again

Greg
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Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2006, 02:22:48 pm »
Well Greg, you have good attitude. If you don't make mistakes you will not learn. If you really want to learn beekeeping you need several hives. Reactions of different hives tell what is succesful and when it is even mistakes.  There are a lot differencies in hives' responses.

Bees are wild animals, not tame. It takes time to get such an experience that you may anticipate what they are going to do.

Offline randydrivesabus

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2006, 03:02:05 pm »
as long as you paint the poplar it should be as good as any thing else.

Offline Finsky

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #16 on: October 30, 2006, 03:15:10 pm »
Your hive size for winter

I noticed you picture gallery. It seems to me that you colony is quite small. One box is enough over winter.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2006, 04:00:16 pm »
Popular, as with most hard woods, unlike evergreens, have a tendency to dry rot if exposed to weather, which is why it's not used in building construction.  That said the boxes should still last for5-6 years before developing any serious problems, if painted.  The various varities of Fir, Pine, and Cedar (including Cypress) will last for decades if properly cared for.  If you like wood working rebuilding your boxes every few years shouldn't be a big problem.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2006, 05:10:39 pm »
i don't mean to post just to contradict you Brian so it is with all due respect that I want to point out that poplar is an excellent wood for construction and that many log homes (not those kit things) are built of poplar. it is not, however, a carefree material.

Offline Greg Peck

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Bees not taking sugar water
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2006, 07:56:06 pm »
Thanks for the comments on the Poplar. I had the same feelings about the wood. I just wanted to see if anyone had any major problems with it. About painting I have read both to paint the inside and outside. It does not seem right to me to paint the inside. What is the ruling on that?

Finsky, about putting the bees in one HB. What do I do with the bees stores in the upper HB most are not capped. How do I go about getting the bees out of the top HB. Also I need to move this hive about 200 yards from its current location at some point. Would I be better off moving it now in the cold weather or wait till spring when things warm up?  As you can see in the gallery the location is not the best due to the trees and limited sun light. I have another area that will accommodate probably up to 10 hives and they should get more sun light.

On a side note I had put the 1:2 sugar water  on the hive on Saturday today I looked at it and it does not appear that they have touched it. I did notice condensation on the pail.

Thanks again
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