Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: TheMasonicHive on July 01, 2010, 12:29:19 pm

Title: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: TheMasonicHive on July 01, 2010, 12:29:19 pm
So I made my first MAJOR oops today and if I would have been keeping notes about my work at each hive I would have been much better off.

APPARENTLY in the last few weeks I got the clever idea that I should ventilate my hive that I was feeding with HBH sugar syrup.

I broke off a few small twigs from a nearby tree, put them on the top edge of the feeder and left.

Apparently I was effectively creating a top entrance...which Michael Bush I must tell you worked effectively (for all the wrong reasons) and I triggered a robbing situation.

I've been going to that hive and noticing not a whole lot of work or production over the last couple of weeks, and have wondered why if they were going through so much syrup every few days that they weren't growing.

I have my answer.  Dumb dumb dumb.
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: Kathyp on July 01, 2010, 01:20:12 pm
any time you feed, robbing can be a problem.  especially if there is a flow on.  if the bees are storing honey, robbing can be a problem.  if the choice is between encouraging robbing and ventilation, skip the ventilation.  bees can regulate the temp and moisture in the hive.
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: TheMasonicHive on July 01, 2010, 01:23:42 pm
Now the problem is that the hive next to is which has a honey super on it undoubtably was part of the robbing, so if they've drawn out comb on it and they are storing food, then they will have the syrup with HBH in it.

So today I'm going to take that super off, put a brand new one on, and let them rob out the "contaminated" one, then put the frames that had comb built out on it back into the brand new super so I'm not losing any production.
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: Scadsobees on July 01, 2010, 01:37:39 pm
And to chime in...I'd strongly suggest AGAINST feeding HBH unless for some reason the bees won't take syrup in early spring.  Any other time it is a recipe for robbing, the smell is too strong.

As to them robbing the contaminated super...where do you suppose they're going to store that?  :roll:
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: TheMasonicHive on July 01, 2010, 01:58:56 pm
They can't store it in comb that doesn't exist yet.  They'll have to find some place to put it.  By the time they draw it out I figure they'll have put it other places or used it for other projects.
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: BjornBee on July 01, 2010, 08:17:49 pm
 :lau:

I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back.

Top entrances and HBH.....two things I am completely against. Although I must admit that the top entrances unto themselves probably did not start it.

I found out long ago about selectively feeding HBH to weak hives. It about the biggest dinner bell for robbers that you can buy.... ;) So I was dumb, dumb, dumb too. :-D

Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: buzzbee on July 01, 2010, 08:59:31 pm
:lau:

I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back.

Top entrances and HBH.....two things I am completely against. Although I must admit that the top entrances unto themselves probably did not start it.

I found out long ago about selectively feeding HBH to weak hives. It about the biggest dinner bell for robbers that you can buy.... ;) So I was dumb, dumb, dumb too. :-D


Experience ,good or bad,is a great teacher. Hopefully someone else can learn from your experiences.Good to share mistakes,we cam all learn from them. :)
Title: Re: ...well...that was certainly ill advised wasn't it?
Post by: Michael Bush on July 02, 2010, 12:32:59 am
Feeding tends to set off robbing.  HBH tends to set off robbing (and kill off the microbes).  Top entrances just gave them access, of course.

Sometimes we learn the hard way...