Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: dfizer on September 27, 2012, 09:59:07 pm

Title: Fall feeding.....
Post by: dfizer on September 27, 2012, 09:59:07 pm

How does one know when to stop feeding in the fall?  Will the bees simply stop taking it?  Basically whet I'm trying to determine is when to remove the hive top feeders?  I am in the north east where the nights are getting cold rapidly (mid 30's) so I want to be getting these hives set for winter....

Please advise,

David

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: AllenF on September 27, 2012, 10:19:42 pm

Stop feeding when the hive is full or the bees quit taking. 

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: duck on September 27, 2012, 10:53:23 pm

are you feeding 2 to 1?

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: danno on September 28, 2012, 08:45:53 am

Alittle winter insurance is a candy board or 2 on top of the frames.  I make them 1" thick poured in foil pie pans.

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: mikecva on September 28, 2012, 01:10:37 pm

I stop when the syrup starts to become to thick or freezes, then I put in some fondant when I remove the top feeder.  -Mike

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: AllenF on September 28, 2012, 05:38:14 pm

Dry sugar over a sheet of newspaper over the top of the brood box will help out on light weight hives also.   And easier to do.

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: Michael Bush on September 29, 2012, 04:59:38 pm

The only reason they will stop taking it is if it's too cold to take it or there is no where left to put it.  If there is no where left to put it then they have no where to cluster.  They need empty comb to cluster on.  The only reason to feed is to get them up to weight.  The amount should be based on getting them up to weight.  Up to weight depends on your climate, the size of the cluster and the race of bees.

Title: Re: Fall feeding.....
Post by: BlueBee on September 30, 2012, 01:20:24 am

Yeah, they stop consuming sugar water when they don’t want any more.  When they stop consuming, I take off the feeders.  A problem with hive top feeders is the bees tend to congregate right under the feeders and that makes getting the bees off the feeder difficult if the weather gets cold.  Best to pull the feeders before bad weather or you end up losing bees on the bottoms of the feeders.