Hi rgennaro, my first winter I overwintered late season Nucs. I actually used boardman feeders. On the warmer days they sopped it up. Never had any problems. I also open fed ultra bee, same situation. Since you are in New York have you considered Mountian Camp feeding?
The15thMemberBut be careful of robbing! The only food around will be the food you put out, so all the bees in all the hives anywhere close to you will find it if the food sources lasts more than a day.
BeeMaster2R,
Keep in mind that the reason we don?t feed syrup during the winter is that it stimulates egg laying and causes heavy condensation in the hive.
If the water is dripping on the cluster it can kill a hive.
Jim Altmiller
Member and Jim your advise is good, sound, solid, advise if we go by the book. I did what I did and not only got away with it but my Nucs prospered. They were busting at the seams with bees when spring arrived, so much so that I had to add space as soon as the weather permitted.(They were packed!) The way I added space was again against the rules. I broke the rules by adding a second 5 frame box and checkerboard the 5 original combs. That is a do NOT do, I have been since told. As soon as I thought the time was right I split these. From those five nuns I split and can't remember how many hives I had going into the next winter.
The advise of the open pollen feeding was given to me via phone conversation from David Haught of Chatsworth, GA. I had bought some very late season queens from him. David has a bee supply company and sells bees. He also has a youtube channel.
I can't remember who advised me on the syrup feeding, It might have been David but don't quote me as I can't clearly remember. But 'no one' advised me to use Boardman feeders in the winter, that was my own doing. I had ordered the feeders back in the summer in case of a future need and had them on hand. I had them and I used them. Against the rules? Yes. But I got away with it. I was very happy with the results.
Keep in mind rgennaro, thought we do have some cold days here in the winter single digits and teens Fahrenheit from time to time we also have warmer days as well, sometimes in the 50's and 60s'. This varies from day to day and week to week in my area. In New York, what I did may be a disaster? It may never warm up enough for your bees to break cluster?
Phillip