Feeding & Feeding

[DayValleyDahlias]

Should I just keep replacing the sugar syrup from now til Spring? :shock:

[SteveSC]

Do you need to feed...? 

My deeps have plenty of stores and a super full of honey on top....I doubt I'll feed anything until early spring.  I fed alot last year - most of the winter through the spring.  I had tons of bees when it warmed up which is good,  but....  I had tons of bees before the flow started due to my feeding sugar syrup and protein pollen patties which is bad since I didn't do much to prevent an over crowded swarming event. 

I had 8 hives full of bees  - I had 8 hives swarm the first week of March - I captured all but 1 swarm and re hived them but that wasn't what I wanted to do...   My point would be, fed them but prepare to try to prevent swarming in the spring if they're overcrowded before the flow starts.   I'm going to start in mid to early Feb. trying to trick them into not swarming ( MB's unlimited brood method with empty frames ) this yr..  In the mean time I don't think they need to be fed for a few mons...   

Maybe others alot more experienced than myself will offer advice also.  Good luck.

 

[Michael Bush]

As soon as the hive is up to winter weight, I would stop.  I don't know what that is where you are.  A strong Italian hive here should weigh about 150lbs while a carni hive might get by on less.

[Kathyp]

your bees are going to be more active than the bees in hard winter areas.  i think you will have to keep an eye on them all winter.  you won't get the rains until Feb. or so.  then you'll have to watch the flow.  it may not be so much until after the hard rains.

[Cindi]

Sharon, so the hive should weight about 150 pounds, I am kind of laughing a little bit here at the thought of you picking up the colonies to see if they that much, hee, hee.  Seriously.  It is hard to tell how much they weight unless you have some kind of scale for lifting the hives.

I have finished feeding now.  I am not going to feed anymore.  I will put dry sugar on the top of the inner cover just in case they need some emergency food.  That can be checked quickly to see if they are using any of it.  If they do use any, I will know that I have not fed enough.  I have kept a record of how much I have fed them and when I started feeding.  This will be for next year to know pretty close to if I have fed them enough sugar syrup.

This weighing of the hive is a hard thing for one who does not possess a scale.  So, what I would suggest is:  try and lift the back of the hive up and see if it feels heavy to you.  If it feels really heavy, then they probably have a fair amount of stores.  You could do this regularly, and note how it feels each time in your mind.  If you find that the hives are feeling quite light, then you want to resume some kind of feeding.

Sharon, all areas where people keep bees are so different, it is hard to say exactly how much you would need for your bees.  I know in our area, it is advised to have about 60 pounds of honey in the colonies.  You might get some more excellent responses from our friends here.  Have a wonderful and great day. Cindi

[Michael Bush]

If you lift only the back of the hive, then the back only needs to feel like 75 pounds, but that is still a lot to lift.  Right now, with my back hurt, ten pounds seems like a lot to lift to me...

[Cindi]

Anybody got a hive scale that Sharon or I could borrow?   :) :roll: ;) :)  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi

[DayValleyDahlias]

Well...hhhmmm thanks folks...it is a drizzling day here after having near record heat the past few days...very odd weather for sure...my hubby is good at estimating weight, so I will have hime lift and figure out...I probably should check the brood box too....hhhmmm, I just hate to disturb the little buggers...

Thanks y'all!

P.S. we have very mild Winters here...