Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: LizzieBee on August 13, 2018, 10:13:09 pm

Title: Winter feeding
Post by: LizzieBee on August 13, 2018, 10:13:09 pm
I?m going to offer my bees sugar syrup after the Star Thistle has finished blooming. I?m interested in buying Honey B Healthy to add to the syrup I?ll make (2:1 sugar/water ratio). Has anyone used Honey B Healthy? Does it increase the chance of the hive?s survival over winter?

LizzieBee
Title: Re: Winter feeding
Post by: OPAVP on August 13, 2018, 10:51:14 pm
I use Honey Bee Healthy. I use it  thinned down with water and have been using it instead of smoke.That is up to this afternoon. I have 2 hives.The first is a package from this spring and did very well. The second is overwintered from last year with a Buckfast queen. The first has a Carniolan queen. The first have was extremely docile,just a little spray. The second came after me like a cloud of locusts. I have been able to work both hives with short sleeved shirt,no veil. But for the  second I had to suite up,coverall,veil,etc.
Wether the weather condition made them aggressive,or the old Buckfast queen is ready for replacing,I don.t know.

Cor Van Pelt
Title: Re: Winter feeding
Post by: beepro on August 14, 2018, 10:40:34 pm
You don't worry that the HBH will contaminate your winter honey?   If they are stored and cap then the Spring honey
might be mixed in with the HBH in an overwintered hive.    What is wrong with simply feeding 2:1 syrup?  I haven't use HBH in the
last 6 years.   Bees are going strong in to winter this season.
Title: Re: Winter feeding
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 14, 2018, 11:54:40 pm
Bee careful using HBH. If you put too much of it in the syrup, it will kill your bees. The original directions said to put too much in and it was killing bees.
I have some. But I only used it once.
Jim