Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: beesonhay465 on October 16, 2019, 12:11:17 am
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i have fed in the past 5 days for a total of 24 lbs of sugar as 2/1 syrup. filled feeder yesterday when l checked today they were licking the bottom . when should i stop feeding ? 2 med supers one was about 80% the other empty when i started feeding.
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Where are you located? Location determines how much food they need.
Go not by how much they have taken in, but by how much they have actually stored away. In other words, actually weigh the hive to know if they have enough.
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The rule of thumb to stop liquid feeding is when the daily low temperatures are consistently in the 50's (in my area).
For light hives I go straight into Mountain Camp style feeding, https://www.honeybeesuite.com/mountain-camp-feeding/.
There seems to be a tendency for the bees to go to the top of the hive pretty quick when you feed solid sugar or patties. I'm sure other people will have their opinions. Many of the non interventionist beekeepers say you should never feed a hive, but, they are the ones buying packages every year because their bees starved (or died of mites).
For established hives I wait for them to use up their stores before I start MC. Frequently they do not need it, depends on the weather and the queen activity.
Good luck with your bees.
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HP, how much honey per single deep or double deep hive do you need to winter over?
In south Texas I used an entire medium of honey. Rarely a Frost in that area, however the bees were active somewhat but no foliage so a lot of honey was needed.
Cheers
Van
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I?ve watched a couple videos from two different keepers in Canada and both were over wintering in a single deep.
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HP, how much honey per single deep or double deep hive do you need to winter over?
In south Texas I used an entire medium of honey. Rarely a Frost in that area, however the bees were active somewhat but no foliage so a lot of honey was needed.
Cheers
Van
Only an experienced beekeeper local to your area can advise how much feed is needed. What I need here to get through 6 months of frozen white landscape to what is needed in balmy year round forage in Florida will be significantly different. Hence my question to the OP above. Location, location, location.
To VanZ question. My all in weight target by mid October 15. This includes lid, boxes, bees, and bottom board.
- double deep: 165 lbs, wintered outdoors or in climate controlled building
- single deep: 95+ lbs, wintered in climate controlled building
Winter period is long here. Frost kill by 1st week of september. Snow on the ground and frozen landscape any day from Oct 10 onwards. Spring snowmelt and above zero temperatures do not return until into April. There is no forage until wk3 of April when the willows open.
At the weights given. The double deep will be on verge of starving end of April. The single deep will be starving end of March. It is impossible to feed November through March. Feeding is complete by end of September.
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I?ve watched a couple videos from two different keepers in Canada and both were over wintering in a single deep.
yes, they usually wintering in a single deep with one frame feeder.
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Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller