Winter feeding with sugar

[Finsky]

In my country it is usual that we take honey away and we give 40 lbs. sugar to hive.  With sugar colony lives from September to May. It is 9 months. Our sugar is 1 euros per kilo and honey is 5 euros per kilo. It is pure business. No room for emotions.

Sugar must be given in 60-66% solution from upper feeding box.  

My feeding box is 8 liter. I give to 2-deep hive  24 liter sugar solution, and too one deep hive  16 liter.

When I extract honey I give all pollen frames to hives.  It is important to bees welfare. Pollen has vitamins, proteins and lipids for bee. Honey has only energy.

I have over wintered hives with pure sugar. It goes well. At spring they need pollen from Marsh to August. In May they get willow pollen.

Here is some feeding boxes:
 http://www.hunaja.fi/tuotetieto/syottolaatikot.htm


Many say that I am greed when I take all honey away. So I am.  Bees have never claimed to me. They like sugar.  So I have done 40 years.

I wonder the system where beekeeper feed hive all winter. It makes hive raise brood all winter and hive dies. In our climate hives must be in peace from September to Marsh. In Australia they tried to raise brood over winter and gived pollen patty to hives but hives got sick.

At the beginning of October bees make they last flights to outside and they stay in box until to the beginning of Marsh.


When I give 24 liter sugar solution, bees carry it into hive during one week. First 2 feeding box and then one week pause and third box more.

Into one deep hive I give solution so much as it takes.


My winter losses have been 0,5 hive per 15 hives. More I loose queens when they catch the nosema. I keep 20% extra hives over winter to cover losses. So I need not to cry if some hive dies.

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During two years I have over wintered 3 frame colonies with 6 W terrarium heater. It has worked splendid. Now I put more small colonies and get extra queens from them for spring.

[latebee]

Hello again Finsky,
   I am interested in your approach of altering the winter climate of  the interoir hive to suit the bees.When you put the 6 watt heater in your hive body,is it a full ten frame body or a 5 frame nuc? Also where do you place the heater?Is it directly laying on the bottom board or is it under a screen mesh bottom?Do you restrict the bottom entrance,and do you have a top entrance with this system? I will have more questions to ask you for sure.
 Also perhaps you could post your formula for pollen substitute one more time for those who have not seen it before--the bees really love  it! And to make sure I understand your sugar feeding of the bees -you said you give them 24 litres in a three week period? Is this after all flower blooms have ceased?

[Finsky]

Hello again Finsky,
When you put the 6 watt heater in your hive body,is it a full ten frame body or a 5 frame nuc? ?

I have used a langtroth box. I have 3 frames bees, a middle wall and the empty part.  Heater is inside the empty part.

If you put heater on the bottom board and under the winter ball, it is too hot and winter ball will be dispersed. So the heater in the empty part will be like the part of bigger colony which give warm to small one.

When you take roof off and look the winter ball you will se how it works.  So I install the situation and the volume of heat. You may open the upper entrance and you sett upp the right level.

 

-you said you give them 24 litres in a three week period? Is this after all flower blooms have ceased?

No that way . 8 liter  three times  during one week.

If you feed during long time you will have a lot of brood in the hive.

I feed them when allmost all brood has emerged. So I get  honey off from hive. Youg queen lay eggs quite late. They must be however feeded, but full, that queen has no room for new eggs. Winter comes to us quite rapidly.