BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM.
Mid to Late Winter emergency feeding
capt44:
Here in Central Arkansas I keep a dry pollen substitute out all winter (BEE PRO)
I also keep 2-1 sugar syrup in 5 gallon community feeders.
If their food stores get low I use the Mountain Camp Method also.
We have warm days and cool to cold days.
The bees fly and use energy thus eat a lot of food in the hive.
I make sure the hive has plenty of ventilation which is a key to winter survival here because of the high humidities.
Ben Framed:
--- Quote from: capt44 on April 07, 2018, 12:22:20 pm ---Here in Central Arkansas I keep a dry pollen substitute out all winter (BEE PRO)
I also keep 2-1 sugar syrup in 5 gallon community feeders.
If their food stores get low I use the Mountain Camp Method also.
We have warm days and cool to cold days.
The bees fly and use energy thus eat a lot of food in the hive.
I make sure the hive has plenty of ventilation which is a key to winter survival here because of the high humidities.
--- End quote ---
capt44 Keep in mind that I am learning, the Mountain Camp Method is something that I know nothing about. Will you tell me about it please sir?
cao:
The mountain camp method is basically putting a sheet of newspaper(wax paper) on top of the frames. Piling some dry sugar on it and spritzing it with water to clump it up (so the bees don't carry the sugar out as trash). It is a quick way to put sugar on a hive instead of fondant or sugar bricks.
Ben Framed:
--- Quote from: cao on April 10, 2018, 01:33:19 am ---The mountain camp method is basically putting a sheet of newspaper(wax paper) on top of the frames. Piling some dry sugar on it and spritzing it with water to clump it up (so the bees don't carry the sugar out as trash). It is a quick way to put sugar on a hive instead of fondant or sugar bricks.
--- End quote ---
Thanks cao, I knew of the method that you described but didn't know it as the mountian camp method, or that was the name of the method.. many thanks , Phillip Hall
Vance G:
We here at the North end of the Rocky Mountain range, have had at least an open winter if not a lack of winter. Little dusting of snow today but snow on the flats has been melted since Christmas. Bees have been flying some most every week so winter stores are taking a beating. I opened all of my colonies ten days ago and the inspection was beneficial in that one colony had eaten every speck of the ten pounds of MC sugar on the top was gone. I don't care if they hauled half out the front door, it was no longer there to eliminate starvation. I put on some simple sugar bricks 10lb sugar and two cups water, stir and pack in paper soup bowl form; and marked the colony to be used up making nucs beginning of May with caged queens. It will take at least three! This hive is stuffed with bees! The genetics don't need passed on but the intrinsic value of the bees is too great to teach them a lesson by letting them starve to death. I will be checking it soon to make sure it does not run out of feed.
In my experience here in zone 3/4 is that a hive can be opened any month of the year IF you have a lid that reseals and you only do the action for a reason. Mine will be reopened mid February to add more sugar if necessary and to start putting on pollen patties. My objective is to super when the fruit and dandelion bloom and requeen. I think a lot of honey is left on the trees because people won't super early. I basically follow Mel Disselkoens OTS methodology to control swarming.
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