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Author Topic: When to Stop Feeding?  (Read 4979 times)

Offline Butterchurn

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When to Stop Feeding?
« on: May 13, 2005, 07:36:09 pm »
After installing a package of bees on RiteCell foundation, when should I stop feeding sugar syrup?

Thanks!

Ron
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Offline lee

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2005, 07:45:26 pm »
i don't know someone said as long as they are eating it. let them have it ,so in the last week i have give my bees 10  2 liters bottles of sugar water or about 29 lb. of sugar. will check back on then monday to refuel them. and the bees look like they are happy :D

Offline Tobikiri

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2005, 07:50:27 pm »
I've heard to stop after 3 qts (per hive), and I've also heard to feed until they stop taking it.

I plan to do whichever comes first!  :)

I'm sure someone with more experience will come along and give you better advice than I can.

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2005, 08:03:31 pm »
Lee you listened correctly. You keep feeding your bees till they wont take the sugar syrup any more. :D
Ryan Horn

Offline Lechwe

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2005, 08:13:23 am »
If I am feeding a new package I will keep sugar water on them until they have almost completely drawn out the second brood box. It really helps them early on when there are few bees. They don't have to forage on their own to be able to get the job done. You could get by stopping sooner it will just take a little longer for them to get to the same point. I always stop before I add suppers to a new hive so they don't start storing sugar honey in them.

For an established hive I will feed then 1 or 2 gallons of sugar syrup in early spring to get them going and then stop. My overwintered hive from last year still had and entire deep box full of honey this spring so they took very little syrup.

Good luck

Offline SherryL

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2005, 10:59:02 am »
I think Lechwe has it right on the money.  

My hives were brand new last spring too.  They're in far N. Wis., and have a very short season (late spring, early winter).  The bees need to draw out ALL of that foundation you have there for them.  I think it took my bees the better of 2 months to draw out 2 deeps worth of foundation.

Keep feeding them until they won't take it anymore.  :wink:

sherry

Offline SherryL

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2005, 10:59:48 am »
Ron, what part of MN are you in?

Offline Butterchurn

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2005, 01:08:53 am »
SherryL,

I'm in the North West Minneapolis area, Andover.  My bees are in Ramsey.

Ron
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Offline Robo

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2005, 11:46:41 am »
There is no simple "right" answer.  All bees do not act/react the same, that is why you have to monitor the situation and act accordingly.

I would suggest continue feeding them syrup as long as they continue to take it and are drawing comb.  If they start storing it (making sugar honey) then stop.  Some bees will stop on their own, others won't.
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Offline taw

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5 gallons per deep brood chamber
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2005, 07:51:54 pm »
"5 gallons per deep brood chamber"

That's what I heard it takes to fully draw out comb from foundation in a deep. It holds true for me so far.

I installed 2 packages 2.5 weeks ago. They have sucked down about 7 gallons of syrup a piece. I just put 2.5 gallon more on... they have only drawn out 1 deep brood chamber (each) in that time (only 8 frames each as well). So....

Syrup and pollen == large healthy hives, especially early in the season when they are building up a population. If you have all drawn comb and a good nectar flow on, I would maybe let them do their thing, but if you are trying to "help them out" like I am with new foundation, then... syrup, syrup, and more syrup.

By the way, the miller top feeder makes this so much easier than any other feeder that I can think of.
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Offline lee

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2005, 10:11:28 pm »
i have 4 new hives . and there eating of house & home. just got back from G F S with a another 25# bag of sugar. going to check on them tommrow and give them some more sugar water if they need it :D

Offline thegolfpsycho

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2005, 10:13:46 pm »
I'm with Robo.  Once they get enough comb drawn to start storing more syrup than building new comb,  I make em start workin for a livin.  Falls a long way off and I can feed em then if they don't get up to speed

Offline Finsky

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When to Stop Feeding?
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2005, 12:38:25 am »
I understand that nuc is volume of 5 frames or?  Then you give  foundation frames and bees start to build and make brood? Is that so?

When you want to get your hive rise, feeding is not essential. I have same situation when I have 1 kg  little swarm.

1) Most essential for little nuc is warm of hive. There cannot be extra space. If they have, development will be slow.

2) Insulated hive would be really good and extra wall in the middle of Langstroth box.

3) In the hive it should be one frame food and others brood. If they have more food, it is bad thing.

4) If you feed over, it limits brood area and slow down development

5) Colony is at it's smallest  3 weeks after installing. Half of buyed bees have died.

6) When 3 frames full of brood have hatched, you have a full box of bees or more.

Now you have summer. There is not reason to feed bees . They get from nature food what they need and they build more space if they can.

The number of bees limits the development of colony. You cannot  speed them upp by feeding sugar. It just stuck the free space of hive.

If I have a little colony, which have  2 or 3 frames, I take away filled frames.

If you heat with terrarium heater that tiny colony, it can make 100% more brood.  8 W in your climate is enough.

If you should use insulated box and limited space, it speed upp development a lot, 30% I suppose.

 

anything