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Author Topic: winter feeding  (Read 3554 times)

Offline lee

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winter feeding
« on: September 05, 2006, 12:00:53 pm »
when dose one start feeding in lower michigan. the golden rod is coming in now. thanks

Offline TwT

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winter feeding
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2006, 01:21:56 pm »
if you dont take all the bee's honey it will store enough to winter its self and you shouldn't have to feed unless a hive is short on stores, not being from Michigan and way away from it, the main thing to look for in any flow is if they are working a plant that you can see them doing it, some uncapped nectar in the cells, most of the time uncapped nectar is a sign of a flow large or small, as long as they are working the goldenrod I wouldn't worry, after the goldenrod dies off check each hive and see what stores they have and if a hive is short on stores then you can feed to help them out.... just my opinion!!!
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Offline latebee

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winter feeding
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2006, 08:57:43 pm »
I am a little closer to you than TwT,and agree with him. In my area of NY the golden rod flow is usually the best flow of the season. I would hold off on the feeding untill the goldenrod stops and see what the bees have stored in combs.I am surprised at how quick they can make honey in the fall.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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winter feeding
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2006, 09:54:14 pm »
The last flow of the season in some areas is goldenrod.  
after that flow is over I would inspect the hives for stores and feed if necessary.  Many beekeepers, especially newbees, have a tendency to over feed or to feed when unnecessary.
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Offline tom

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« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2006, 12:26:16 am »
Hello

   I am in the southern virginia area and we had no rain until ernesto and then it has been raining since the sun has come out but now it is raining again which is a good thing. My hives have come back to life  and they are working some wild flowers that i have not seen before some of the plants but theyare gathering plenty of pollen and i see some of them can not make it to the hive because they are so loaded down with nectar my first hive has come back to life in a big way and my second and third hive are fanning and working like crazy so maybe they will make enough to make it thru the winter we don't get cold weather till november but the past few years it has been warm until after.

Tom

Offline Finsky

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winter feeding
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2006, 02:43:52 am »
My system:

I live on the level of Anchorage Alaska in Finland.  I do my winter works what ever the weather is. Normally our yild has stopped in the first week of August and normally this time hives are almost empty of brood. Perhaps 2-3 frames.

I extract all honey away from hives. They are my slaves and I change honey yild to cheap sugar. Bees live perfectly over winter with sugar. Pollen they need. In pollen there are protein, vitamins and what ever bees need. I return pollen frames to hive.

Agaist wall I put white combs, then pollen frames and in the middle empty combs. Brood combs I move to lowest box in middle.

If colony goes into one box, it is good. I feed to one box hive so much as it takes. Normally it is  12 liter 60% syrup.

On average I give 20 kg dry sugar per hive. That is measure I bye.

My "bees winter" is  9 months long. Bees live with sugar from September to end of May. In south winter is shorter in both ends.

We talk much about "bees need real honey for winter", but they really do not need. I have robbed them 45 years and they go over winter very well.  Wintered bees die 3 weeks after they get pollen from nature and raise new bees. In the end of May I have no wintered bees in my hives.

Bees are able to raise new bees only if they have pollen in spring.

I have insulated boxes like all here in Finland. It saves winter food and saves from starving, but the most important is that spring build up is faster in warm boxes.

Before snow falls I give oxalic acid trickling and it handles my varroa problem. To handle varroa it takes 30 seconds. It is vain to make it the varroa more important issue that it is. To calculate and shake with sugar is not necessary on areas where you have brood break.

Bees have system in nature  that they have big  winter storage and eat it during winter. To feed during winter is vain and harmfull operation. Feeding starts brood raising and it is worst what you need in winter.

Offline Michael Bush

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winter feeding
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2006, 07:55:02 am »
I feed them if they are light.  I don't if they are not.

Many people believe honey is better for the bees than sugar.  This would include many reputable and famous beekeepers and bee scholars, including Eva Crane.  Many people also believe it doesn't matter and some believe sugar syrup is superior.
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Offline Finsky

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winter feeding
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2006, 09:07:58 am »
Quote from: Michael Bush
and some believe sugar syrup is superior.


I do not know any. Sugar is cheap. It is 1 $/kilo and honey is 6 $

Like cows: take milk and give water  :shock:

Offline Michael Bush

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winter feeding
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2006, 11:42:33 pm »
>and some believe sugar syrup is superior.

This argument is based on less solids in the syrup than in the honey.
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Offline Zoot

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winter feeding
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2006, 11:57:08 pm »
I am curious about the location of winter food (honey, syrup, candy board, etc) relative to the cluster.

If you go into winter with a colony that requires more than one box (I am using 8 frame mediums throughout so I know this will be the case) where would one place the respective foods? Several of my neighbors have told me that in a cold winter having the food source too far away inside the hive from the main cluster can result in starvation regardless of how much surplus or suplimental food there is.

Offline Finsky

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winter feeding
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2006, 01:21:52 am »
Quote from: Zoot
Iin a cold winter having the food source too far away inside the hive from the main cluster can result in starvation regardless of how much surplus or suplimental food there is.


That is true. It means that colony has too much space. Why? - often colony diminishes during winter and little ball goes to the corner where food ceases. Ball may die in upper box and lower box is very full.

WHAT TO DO

Give to colony as much frames and space as it occupy in autumn. Restrict vain room with extra wall. Take extra room box away.

Extra space makes more harm with moisture condentasion and forming mold and fermented food.  It helps a lot if you have insultated walls in hive. Box is wider and it reaches food better.

Starvation is not biggest problem in wintering. Nosema is quite bad.

I keep 20% extra colonies for winter losses, and loss of queen to nosema is most usual. Starvation to death is very rare.

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Offline lee

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winter feeding
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2006, 06:49:16 pm »
i check on the bees today and there r bring in pollen like crazy. :D  :D  i have 4 hives 2 deeps per hive and i put  supers on top for me. i have got 3 supers all ready :D  :D  and looks like i will get  3 more  before winter. :D  :D can they live on the honey or sugar water in the 2 deeps per hive. thanks for all the info.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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winter feeding
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2006, 11:43:11 pm »
2 deeps full of stores should be plenty anywhere in the USA.
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