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Author Topic: When to change out sugar syrup  (Read 3242 times)

Offline crispy

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When to change out sugar syrup
« on: October 30, 2020, 06:07:08 pm »
Hi all doing some thinking about when the winter comes and feeding bees ,now can anyone give me a definitive answer as to how long should you leave the 1: 1 ratio of sugar syrup before changing it ?

When i bought the nuc the breeder told me to change it every 3- 4 days or it would turn to alcahol and kill the bees .I have done some searching on the net and cannot find anything about when to change it or how long it will last .

I see medium scale apiarists not changing there sugar syrup as often and using the same ratio in there feeders for their bees ,if i was to keep changing the syrup out every three to four days during winter i would be disturbing the bees to much i would think .

I have easy access to pollen patties so thats no problem my local supplier has just started to stock them but is this correct about changing the syrup every couple of days ? 

Offline Acebird

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2020, 06:24:06 pm »
Fermentation is temperature sensitive.  So a definitive answer will only be correct some of the time.  Most people that feed bees have a set up that doesn't disturb the bees.
I thought you weren't harvesting honey.  If you are not harvesting honey you don't need to feed.  They produce more than they need which is why we can take it.
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Offline iddee

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2020, 07:52:53 pm »
To add to what Ace said, fermented syrup will not harm the bees. They gather fermented sugar from rotting fruit and berries all summer. I never change sugar syrup because of fermentation. It will also grow black mold, which is also no danger to the bees.
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Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2020, 11:41:15 pm »
Agree that slightly fermenting or dirty syrup is a non-issue IN THE SPRING.
When feeding for WINTER stores, a whole different scenario. For winter feed, ensure it is fresh and clean.  At fall/winter feeding either dump the fouling syrup or store it for the following spring.

PS:  a little bit of bleach is very effective at preventing mould and fermenting of the syrup without having any negative effects on the bees health or consumption rate.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2020, 12:06:14 am »
Agree that slightly fermenting or dirty syrup is a non-issue IN THE SPRING.
When feeding for WINTER stores, a whole different scenario. For winter feed, ensure it is fresh and clean.  At fall/winter feeding either dump the fouling syrup or store it for the following spring.

PS:  a little bit of bleach is very effective at preventing mould and fermenting of the syrup without having any negative effects on the bees health or consumption rate.

Mr HoneyPump I have read that fermented stores will cause problems in the autumn.  It was Dave Cushman who said. "Fermented stores can cause bad dysentery, usually resulting in bees defecating within the hive, which will spread nosema if it is present to any great degree." Is this your understanding of the problems also?
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Offline crispy

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2020, 01:45:00 am »
Thanks for the answers guys it is mainly in the winter i am interested in i will probably be using an in hive feeder rather than the top feeder due to my little ant friends they do clean up the dead bees though which is a bonus for everyone , so the syrup should be changed in the winter every 3=4 days to keep it clean and not to ferment or go mouldy .

Offline iddee

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2020, 07:02:14 am »
Hey, guys, The OP said 1:1 syrup. It is now spring down under. You don't feed 1:1 for winter storage. You feed 2:1.   1:1 is for spring build up.

Let's get on the same track here.
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Offline Skeggley

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2020, 10:45:31 am »
Crispy, you shouldn?t need to feed in winter.
If I remember correctly you?re using 2 brood boxes, I reckon the 2nd box will be mainly honey at the end of Autumn.
Although not in SA I?ve never needed to feed even nucs wintertime here in the west with similar winter weather.
Summertime though, different story. ;)

Offline crispy

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2020, 10:19:57 pm »
Hi skeggly ,i did consider the two brood box idea but it seems almost all bee keepers here in aus only use one but it is something i may try in the future ,having a look at the hive now or bee activity should i say they must be on to some good necter as they are as busy as hell even in the overcast days there is still a lot of activity .

I dont think ill ne harvesting any honey this year maybe just a coupe of frames to try out extracting but ill have to see what the bees are doing and how many stores thbrood bx next year ey have, but i know for a fact they have been going gang busters in the brood hive with stores last time i checked .

As for feeding the bees i did give them a small pollen patty the other week they seem to like it and devour it in around a week or less ,ill probably check the top box next week which is now the honey super ,maybe i will use a second brood box next year to try to stop any swarming but for now im just following the rest of the herd in single brood box .     

Offline Skeggley

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2020, 12:10:35 am »
Hi mate,  single brood is the norm here too however I use 8 frame boxes and have added a WSP box after experiencing a summer dearth which caught me by surprise and had me feeding, plenty of flowers and pollen but minimal nectar. Since adding the extra box I've not needed to feed and can't say I've heard pollen patties used here in Aus, you're the first!
 I'm not a fan of feeding unless absolutely necessary like dearth or small colony assistance as I think it creates a false economy which may lead to other issues.
It is important to know when, how and why to feed so the advice above is relevant and appreciated of course but you can't tar all colonys with the same brush, each location is unique for example I've been extracting while beeks <10 Kms away are in dearth situations and vice versa so knowing what goes on in your specific area is based on experience which you'll gain through the next few seasons and even then Mother Nature will throw you a curve ball to keep you on your toes.

Offline crispy

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #10 on: November 01, 2020, 12:35:11 am »
Hi mate after doing some work in the morning i had a peek at the bees activity as we are having some sun today and they are going mental ,there is a traffic jam at the entrance of bees coming in with pollen ect and others trying to get out .We have our bottle brushes in full bloom at the moment as well as a number of other species like roses ect they seem to like the varigated roses better than any other dont know why but on a white rose i count 3 bees on the varigated i count 10 or more all are in full bloom with heaps of flowers .
Just on a drive home i can see heaps of trees in flower and watching the bees they are going of in every direction , the pollen patties were supplied from the breeder he actually makes them but the local guy now has someone local who is making them as well so i wont have to wait 8 days for aust post to bring them i didnt get my catira watch either  :cheesy:

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: When to change out sugar syrup
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2020, 02:54:00 pm »
If the weather is warm, the syrup is fermented and the bees seem to have no interest in it anymore, I often pull it out and put it on the open somewhere and let the bees decide what to do with it.  If the weather is cold, the bees won't use syrup until it warms up.
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