Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Vicken on February 16, 2017, 10:34:09 am
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Is spring feeding important when nectar flow is law and brood biulding is demanding lot of honey flow, I personally will try that this year, any advises there
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I have been told it is important depending on where you live. Presumably in the colder climates it's a good idea to help them get started and not starve. I believe the challenge is to stop before honey is being stored.
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Feed 1:1 or weaker until the brood chamber has sufficient food and you are ready to put honey supers on. Do not feed when honey supers are on the hive. They will not take any more sugar water when their is sufficient nectar to be had.
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I might feed today or tomorrow.
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Just saying, I never fed a hive that survived.
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1:1 sugar solution. Two four pound bags of sugar to one gallon of water, correct way.
For some reason a few people incorrectly believe one 4 pound bag of sugar is mixed with one gallon of water to make a 1:1 solution. This solution is to dilute.
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""1:1 sugar solution. Two four pound bags of sugar to one gallon of water, correct way.""
CORRECT
one 4 pound bag of sugar is mixed in one gallon container and filled with water.
Also CORRECT.
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Iddee:
1:1 sugar,,,,, 4 lbs sugar plus 4.1 pounds water (2 quarts) totals 3/4 gallon of sugar water. Not one gallon. I hate to be so specific but sugar concentration is to important. You might want to edit your post.
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NO, sugar concentration is not at all important. Nectar is approx. 1:4, or 80% water. Sugar syrup can be any mixture you want. The bees don't care.
Take two 1 gallon containers. Put 2 quarts water and 2 quarts sugar in one. Put 4 lbs. sugar in the other and fill with water. Stir both until sugar is dissolved. You won't have but a couple ounces difference in the containers.
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That is surprising Wally. I always heard there was a big difference.
I will have to try it.
Jim
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I have read and heard from some pretty reliable sources that sugar syrup concentrations aren't all that important. Some folks go crazy on the math. Just lighter in spring and heavier in fall is all you need to be concerned about.
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Ok, thanks alot
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I am confused on should I feed or not though. We have stuff blooming but I am just not sure.
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I believe this is another of those area specific questions. I personally am planning on feeding until I put a honey super on. Your area might require something different.
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As of now what I see blooming is some clover, a variety of local flowers but dandelion is the most prevalent along with hinbit. There is a lot of tree pollen in the air and a lot of maples putting out. Specific other flowers I see blooming is a climbing jasmine, blueberries, and some pear trees around my bees. Once the whole field of clover opens up, and it will probably be soon it will be on.
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If he hive has 20 lb. or more honey, no need to feed. If it has 10 lb. or less, feed.
Other than the far north, or southern hemisphere, nothing else matters.
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Ok well I will not be around my hives again until Monday so I will have to check then. Thanks for that. If I do feed and they have plenty of honey will that cause them to swarm?
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No but it makes it harder to keep the feed out of the edible honey. If the bees do not consume the feed it will get mixed.
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What does sugar water honey look like? With the weekend being all 70's and some rain I would imagine that only more will be in bloom by Monday but I will probably just do a little feed. Can't hurt. I will make sure no feed is on when I put the supers on though.
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If you feed to the point all frames are full and the queen has no place to lay, YES, they will swarm. You have to be sure she has laying room.
Sugar water honey and nectar honey looks the same. They will mix enzymes with the sugar water and make it into honey. It just won't have any nectar aroma, taste, or nutrition.
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What does sugar water honey look like?
If you go to the other site Lauri has some excellent photos comparing capped honey to capped sugar water. The problem is when it gets mixed you can't tell visually anymore. You can get away with selling honey that is contaminated with sugar water at a farmers stand but if anyone gets wind of it you won't sell much in the future no matter how pure it is.
Commercial beekeepers know what they are doing so if there is some mixing it is infinitesimal or it is on purpose. So as a back yard beek if your bees don't need feed don't give it to them.
I have read a lot of posts from newbies and I can say with a lot of conviction that worrying solves nothing and most often causes a newbie to do the wrong thing.
I don't know if you watch NCIS and are tuned into Gibs rules but if he was a beekeeper rule #1 would be: If you don't know, you don't do.
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Bees don't seem to mind what ratio you mix the sugar at but.. higher density syrup can sit around in drums etc for a lot longer before you have to worry about things like fermentation and if like me you're lugging if by hand you don't have to carry as much water in the process.
For these reasons I pretty much always mix 2:1 sugar:water regardless of the time of year.
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Are you trying to feed to stimulate honeybees ?
Are you feeling too build up storage ?
Are you trying to produce honey or are you trying to produce bees ?
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 ?
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2 to1 is good for feeding in the fall for the bees to store it but in the spring you want 1 to 1 or less to stimulate the queen to build brood. It tells her there is a flow on. 2 to 1 tells her they are using stored honey.
Jim
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Water can be added at any time to make a 2:1 solution into a 1:1 solution so I can see where it makes sense to make just the 2:1 for storage.
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If you want to raise brood in the springtime. You will only use one hole in your feeder. If you flood feed like most all the bees will do is store it. With one hole they will raise brood. I do this about a month before dandelion season. The mixture of syrup is 2:1. If you do this do not stop . Until a good flow of natural nectar is coming in
https://goo.gl/photos/xt6WpQnJxubczfQ97
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile: