Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: maggie_lee on March 23, 2020, 08:40:35 pm

Title: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: maggie_lee on March 23, 2020, 08:40:35 pm

Hi all,

New beekeeper here, on Thursday I installed my first package. I have a top bar hive.

The can of syrup That Came with them was nearly full, and I had made a feeder too, so I Put both in the hive.

How can I tell when they don?t need syrup anymore?  Maybe I should check a maple?

- the syrup is going down very slowly, my pint jar feeder has gone down less than a quarter inch in 4 days.

- SOme bees were already bringing pollen in on Sunday.

- tons of henbit is blooming and some white cloveR and wild cherry.  BlackBerry is starting. Poplar hasn?t started yet.

- it was getting up past 70 this weekend, but it was rainy and chilly Today.

Thank you for your thoughts!

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: iddee on March 23, 2020, 09:05:57 pm

I would leave it on until you make your first inspection, then decide if they need it when you see what they have stored.

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: FatherMichael on March 23, 2020, 09:25:54 pm

Keeping bees, like most things is life, is both an art and a science.

I know one package bee seller says to feed for 40 days.

Last spring I got a strong nuc that felt light after a few weeks even though we had a major flow; so, I started feeding and they boomed.  They just needed a boost to get started, apparently.

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: cao on March 23, 2020, 09:52:59 pm

what iddee said x2

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: jalentour on March 23, 2020, 11:25:02 pm

I don't live near my hives so I need to do things a little differently.  Iddee and cao are correct, but my experience is bees won't take sugar syrup if something out there is better.  For that reason I feed packages two quarts or more per week.  The more they take the more I feed.  I winter medium over deep, once they reach that size I slow it down adjusting for dearth. 
All locations are different, and five beekeepers will give you six different answers, I suggest you speak to people at your local bee club and see what they are doing.

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: guitarstitch on March 24, 2020, 02:45:51 pm

In my relatively limited experience, I typically feed until they either stop taking the syrup or until I'm ready to super the hive.

Title: Re: When to stop feeding syrup to just-installed package?
Post by: maggie_lee on March 24, 2020, 04:12:12 pm

Thanks everybody!  One of my beekeeping neighbors also said she finds bees prefer natural food if they can find it and will just bypass the syrup.  So yea, I dont reckon it will hurt to keep a jar of food in there and watch.