I am having to feed hives again!! Unbelievable

[annette]

Well got up to visit my 2 hives on Tuesday and was shocked at what I found

Hive #2 - my strongest hive, had eggs, open and sealed brood, good population.  But no honey.  I found little groups of bees just sucking away at little remaining patches of honey. They were very aggressive towards me. No wonder, they are almost starving. A few frames looked like they had been robbed, with the cappings torn away.

Hive #1 - also strong with all the necessary ingredients in similar condition, but they had a bit of honey.

I emailed Serge Labesque, a prominent beekeeper here in California and told him about my hives. His response was that the wet, cooler weather has prevented the bees from foraging. With their strong numbers, they are stuck in the hives and eating away at the honey. He told me to feed for a few days until the warmer weather sets in.

I placed ziplock baggie's in both hives. I am sort of in shock about it all. I mean we are at the end of May and they have no honey.

[riverrat]

i feel your pain on that one the last 3 springs have been that way here usually my spring flow is my best but it has been the fall that has produced for me in them years i didnt super for this spring i instead spent the spring feeding and splitting hives

[Xperiment]

Thanks for posting.   Our hive in Santa Cruz was bursting from the seams in February when we had to re-build the stands due to gophers undermining them.     They've languished and the numbers have dropped off steadily since then and the amount of brood has dropped dramatically.   We just re-queened but it may have been the weather and not a pooped-out queen.   Much fewer bees returning with pollen vs 6 weeks ago too.    We started feeding syrup again 2 weeks ago and then put a brood-builder patty in with the new queen.

What are the ziplock baggies about?

yrs,
xperiment

[Jim134]

Had to feed  lasts May 2009 and June 2009 wet cooler weather rain 55 days out of 60 NO SPRING FLOW

            BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)

[annette]

You make up your sugar syrup as usual, then pour it into gallon size ziplock bags. The real good quality ones. Fill only about 1/3 to 1/2 full and place directly onto the top bars as in the photos on Linda's blog.  You make about 2-3 small slits directly in the top of the ziplock baggie so the bees can suck the syrup from the baggie.

Now you need to have an extra super to place on top to give the baggie room. Or I bought these special little supers (they are about 2 inches high) that you place on top to give the extra room. This is good for emergency feeding. The nice warm baggie sits right there onto the top bars. No bees drowning, no robbing.

check it out.


http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2009/08/feeding-bees-all-over-town.html

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/search/label/baggie%20feeding on this one, check out the entire post, you will see the baggie feeder mentioned many times with photos.

[riverrat]

i like to use gallon pickle jars for feeders over the inner cover opening with a deep on top of  inner cover

[Paynesgrey]

We like the gallon jars. Do not have to disturb the hive to peek in to see level, and a lot less filling than the boardman feeder.