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Author Topic: Feeding in the rain  (Read 2855 times)

Offline tillie

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Feeding in the rain
« on: September 20, 2009, 10:08:48 am »
I've been feeding my bees because they have little to no stores.  I had essentially no honey harvest this year (took 2 1/2 supers total from five hives)  I left lots of honey on the hives and they have gone through most of it.

We have had record rain in Georgia that hasn't let up since Tuesday....still pouring today and more coming today and tomorrow.  I'm worried the bees really need food and I'm not supplying it.

Can I open the hives in the pouring rain just long enough to put in a baggie?  I'm sure they'll be angry for the intrusion but grateful for the food.....so I'm thinking well-suited, but go ahead.

What do you think?

Linda T in Atlanta

Offline Bee-Bop

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2009, 10:30:44 am »
Annette, may let You use her red umbrella to cover the hive as You work !!   ;)

As You know they may be in a foul mood.

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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2009, 10:46:06 am »
tillie, i do it all the time.  i just pop one end up and get in and out as quickly as i can.  they will be ok as long as it's not cold and you don't soak them  :-)
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2009, 11:45:47 am »
They'll survive the rain all the longer you'll be in there.I've been in on rainy days out of necessity because it seemed like that was all we had for a while. If it's not too cool or thunderstorming they probably won't pay any more mind than usual.

Offline sc-bee

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2009, 02:42:39 pm »
The joys of top feeders ---- be it feeders made to fit the top of supers or jar feeders. Yes cost a little more in the beginning but worth the investment. Bees reaching the feeders are not an issue with our Southern winters.
John 3:16

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2009, 03:14:57 pm »
tillie, why not use jars?  seems it would work well for your area?
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline sc-bee

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2009, 03:30:06 pm »
Jars work great. Not as sightly but you can see the level of feed and easy access. You don't have to enter to place on and then re-enter to remove old bag. Here in the south no need to use top super to cover. I have not had freezing issues. Tille has a little more harsh weather than I but not much. If looks are an issue place another deep over top of jar to hide it, you have to place a spacer or at least a shallow over the top of the baggie anyway.

Baggies are easy to transport but will sometimes lose their seal. a milk crate makes carrying the jars easy or a new 5 gal gas can with syrup and fill in yard. Baggies if the hive is not level or the baggie incorrectly filled will spill over the sides and leak. Hive being level is not an issue with jar feeders --- you just have to have the right amount of holes to create the right vacuum to prevent leaks. Also no extra space created for the bees to burr or remembering to remove bag.

In the time needed to put a baggie on, you could put on a plywood top with correct size hole for jar and be set for the rest of winter :-D! Just remember to put a small spacer around the sides of the plywwod, the jar lid will fall down into it and the jar will support itself.
John 3:16

Offline Jim134

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2009, 04:27:15 pm »
 Get in and out as quickly as you can if your going to feed. IMO jars works great.



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« Last Edit: September 20, 2009, 04:57:05 pm by Jim 134 »
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Offline tillie

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2009, 11:18:43 pm »
I assume you mean jars inside a hive box and not Boardman feeders - the boardman promotes robbing in my bee yard and I won't be using them again. 

BTW, I went in the hives with no problem in the rain this morning and almost as soon as I finished the sun came out for a couple of hours before the next deluge started.  Some luck, huh?

Linda T

Offline sc-bee

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2009, 02:12:12 am »
>I assume you mean jars inside a hive box and not Boardman feeders - the boardman promotes robbing in my bee yard and I won't be using them again.

That is correct.

Here is a pic from the net. Two jar feeder. I use one 1/2 gallon mason jar in center. Half gallons are hard to find now unless you have some in storage. This feeder would allow two quarts spaced properly. Looks like it was made from an inner cover.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpvYlup3cFc/ShUWxiY8dbI/AAAAAAAAA1A/H0cCPnVE6MU/s400/bees+5-9-09+053.jpg
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Offline tillie

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2009, 10:05:48 am »
We're having ridiculous rain in Atlanta - a foot yesterday - flood warnings everywhere, roads out, etc.  I'm glad I fed my home hives in the rain.  I haven't fed the bee tree or the bees at Blue Heron.  I don't expect I could walk to the Blue Heron hives today or even yesterday - it's so rainy and muddy.

Linda T

Offline alflyguy

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2009, 02:32:31 pm »
It may be possible to feed in the rain but it would really make my bees mad. I opened a hive Saturday between storms to put in a beetle trap. I intended to do the same to all 5 hives. After the reaction I got on the first one I decided to wait for a sunny day.

Offline ziffabeek

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Re: Feeding in the rain
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2009, 01:11:24 pm »
Thanks for asking this question Tillie, I"ve been wondering the same thing. 

love,
ziffa

 

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