feeding bees in winter

[eddiedlzn]

I was just wondering how warm it should be to open in hive and give them more sugar water. I have noticed quite few dead bees on the bottom board is that normal. I tapped on the hive and heard alot of buzzing so they are not all dead.

[KONASDAD]

They will continue to leave dead soldiers at the door all winter. Try not to disturb them. If they get too many, i take a twig and just flick them out of the way. Only open up if some are flying, otherwise try to leave them alone. I will sometimes listen at the hive side and hear the reassuring buzz and just leave them. If you do open, quickly, and sugar syrup is not recomended. search this site for candy board recipe. Only if its needed.

[Kathyp]

your winters are harsh, as are mine.

i will not feed syrup until spring unless we have a warm up in February.  sometimes we do.  i have put granulated sugar on the inner covers of a couple of the hive that seem not to have stored enough for winter.  that is probably the best you can do until there is a warm up.  

the dead bees are normal.  today i scraped a bunch off the front porches of the hives.  whenever the weather lets them break cluster, they clean house.  the dead are shoved out the door.  from time to time, you need to remove your entrance reducers and scrape out the dead bees from the front.  they can clog up the entrance.

[Michael Bush]

Syrup really only works when the weather is warm enough AND the syrup is warm enough.  If you put warm syrup on them on a 45 degree F day they might take some.  Once the syrup is cold they will probably stop.  But it will really only help if they don't have enough stores.  The syrup is too wet and they have to dry it and that makes them colder.  So unless it's pretty warm, I'd go with the dry sugar as emergency feed.

The time to feed a hive up to weight is early in the fall when the weather is still warm.

[eddiedlzn]

I fed them quite a bit this fall but am still worried it was not enough. so I should just put sugar on the inner cover. What about taking the inner cover off and putting some on the tops of the frames?

[Michael Bush]

>I fed them quite a bit this fall but am still worried it was not enough.

Based on what?  How heavy is the hive?

[eddiedlzn]

i am not sure about the weight of the hive but I was wondering I have an inner frame feeder that holds a gallon of sugar water. If it if dry could I just dump the dry sugar in there.

[Brian D. Bray]

i am not sure about the weight of the hive but I was wondering I have an inner frame feeder that holds a gallon of sugar water. If it if dry could I just dump the dry sugar in there.

You should have a real nice sugar cube come spring.  The problem with putting granulated sugar in a frame feeder is that you have to open the hive and remove a frame to install it.  Finding an empty frame to remove can mean moving frames and breaking the cluster, which can prove deadly to your bees.  If you feel you must feed more either pour granulated sugar on the inner top per kathyP or use candy (fondent) which is sometimes made with a combination of powdered and granulated sugar mixed with water into a paste, placed in a mold and allowed to set.  It is then removed from the mold and placed in the hive, either directly on the frames or on the inner cover.

[eddiedlzn]

The frame feeder is already in place. at the end of the box all I would have to do is slide the inner cover a few inches and pour the dry sugar in. There would be no rearanging frames. If you think I should just pour some on top of the inner cover I will take your advice. I just think I could give them more with out having to open it up again please reply

[Michael Bush]

>If it if dry could I just dump the dry sugar in there.

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/SugarFeedingFrame.jpg

[BMAC]

It was 53f here yesterday.  I run around to two of my yards and fed them 90f syrup.  The girls were going to it instantly.  It is supposed to be nice here until Sunday so I will feed the rest today....  Only warm syrup though.

[eddiedlzn]

yes mike that is what I was thinking of doing how did it work.

[eddiedlzn]

I just went ahead and filled the frame feeder up and put some on the top of the inner cover almost 10 pounds of sugar my xmas present to the bees I hope they make it through the winter.

[Michael Bush]

>how did it work

It's the first time I've tried it.  I'd dribble a little water on top to get the bees interested on a warm day so the housekeepers don't decide that it's trash.