I was reading a post about something and it was spoken about about the sugar syrup being warm to the bees or the bees won't suck it up. Yes, that is common knowledge, cold syrup and the bees ignore it, do you blame them?
That can be a very common problem with feeding bees, another reason to feed the bees in smaller quantities, rather than huge amounts, for example, a quart versus a gallon.
I have used a new method for feeding my bees in the fall, spring whatever. Previously I had used the division board feeders (inner frame feeders, call them what you may), the black plastic ones that replace a frame in the hive, which hold about 1 gallon. They are good and they are bad. They are within the colony body which may help to keep a little warmth to the sugar syrup in the feeder, but still on the outside position so they can get chilled quite easily, and they drown bees, precautions can be made to prevent drowning with apparatus inside the feeder, there are many things human designs for this.
My method, which is very simple and works extremely well, (I used these last fall and was impressed), is the zip loc baggie feeder. The large ones hold approximately one gallon. Smaller baggies can also be used.
To make a longish story short (I can ramble, you all know that), I like the baggie feeder. It can be placed directly on the frames or it can be housed inside an Imrie shim or an empty super. The hole in the inner cover allows the bees to climb up and sip up the nourishment. Tiny slits are cut in the baggie, crossways to the frames.
Sitting on top of the frames or inside this shim or super retains the heat from the bees within. It is quite flat when placed in the colony.
I find it an exceptional method for feeding because the syrup remains for the most part warm. I have read great reviews about using baggie feeders for feeding, it is simple, keeps syrup warm and the bees love it. This is my 2 cents worth, my method of feeding, my story and I'm stickin' to it. Have a wonderful beautiful day, love our awesome lives we lead. Cindi
I have also fed cappings from extracting honey to the bees, the food on top of the inner cover is kept warm too.