update on "oh bleep"

[newguy]

i checked  my hive this weekend and found good news.  since my hive has had no new eggs for almost a month, my new queen had tons of space and pretty much filled every empty cell.  i was really worried about whether or not she would be accepted but all looks well. i guess im not going to have much in the way of foragers in about three weeks when these eggs start to emerge. that will be the second week in sept., maine has a pretty good goldenrod bloom on right now but im not sure about what will be available next month. when should i start to feed with suger water? right now they have about (if i add up all the corners of each frame)3 1/2 full frames in two deeps.  i know i need 70 or more lbs for the winter, but can i feed them late into the fall or do they need to have all this stored and capped before then? thanks kevin

[bassman1977]

Maine seems to have awesome flows.  I was in Skowhegan the beginning of August and the Goldenrod was just starting but the amount of other nectar producers was unreal.  If I lived closer, I'd make sure to have hives up that way.  My uncle keeps hives up there with excellent results (if the bears don't try to help that is).

[leominsterbeeman]

Kevin -

Good Success with your queen introduction.

70+ lbs of honey/food stores are good going into winter in New England.    I would wait atleast a week or two more to feed them sugarwater. If there is goldenrod in bloom, they will continue to feed off of that nectar while they can.  Even after that there are a lot of aster/mums (wild and not wild) that are a good nectar source too.   Honey is a better food for them than sugar water.    I feed them sugar water through the winter and into early spring (end of march)

Funny thing about bees,  if they need more bees to forage for nectar and pollen, more younger bees will do this.  I just read an article on this recently from Zack Huang at MSU.  I will try  to find source.

[Michael Bush]

You can feed them as long as it's warm enough for them to take it.  Use 2:1 so they don't have to dry it.