Mid to Late Winter emergency feeding

[buzzbee]

https://youtu.be/C0NOAslznCo

[Bruce]

Though I generally don't feed my bees mid to late winter is an exception. For new beekeepers a misconception is that bees are very fragile. If you "quickly" (the few seconds needed - don't pull frames) and intelligently (not in a snow storm and not often) open your hive in winter they will not die and you can check on their food supply. You can cook fondant and add an acid to invert the sugar (bees do that in their nectar tommy) but it's not necessary if you are lazy like me and Michael Bush ( http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm). Here are a few tips on feeding bees in winter http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.ca/2014/01/feeding-bees-in-winter.html . 

[iddee]

You don't need to open them at all if you just heft them regularly. You can tell by the weight if they need feed. Then you can drop a patty or sugar brick on in much less time when you do have to open one.

[little john]

I agree - there's really no need to ever open a hive in winter in order to check stores or give supplementary/ emergency feed.  For myself, there's little point in hefting as only a few of my hives are of the same construction and thus weight - otherwise I would.  Instead, I use insulated inverted jars over purpose-made holes in the crown board (inner cover), which - from January/February onwards contain either fondant or damp-set sugar.  I can then very quickly monitor these jars on (typically) a weekly basis, without opening the hive itself, and replenish them only if necessary.  Which, in practice, is very seldom.

I haven't lost a single colony from starvation since I adopted this measure some years ago.
http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com/beek02.htm

LJ

[BeeMaster2]

Good article. Thanks for sharing.
Jim

[capt44]

Here in Central Arkansas I keep a dry pollen substitute out all winter (BEE PRO)
I also keep 2-1 sugar syrup in 5 gallon community feeders.
If their food stores get low I use the Mountain Camp Method also.
We have warm days and cool to cold days.
The bees fly and use energy thus eat a lot of food in the hive.
I make sure the hive has plenty of ventilation which is a key to winter survival here because of the high humidities.

[Ben Framed]

Here in Central Arkansas I keep a dry pollen substitute out all winter (BEE PRO)
I also keep 2-1 sugar syrup in 5 gallon community feeders.
If their food stores get low I use the Mountain Camp Method also.
We have warm days and cool to cold days.
The bees fly and use energy thus eat a lot of food in the hive.
I make sure the hive has plenty of ventilation which is a key to winter survival here because of the high humidities.

capt44  Keep in mind that I am learning,  the Mountain Camp Method is something that I know nothing about. Will you tell me about it please sir?

[cao]

The mountain camp method is basically putting a sheet of newspaper(wax paper) on top of the frames.  Piling some dry sugar on it and spritzing it with water to clump it up (so the bees don't carry the sugar out as trash).  It is a quick way to put sugar on a hive instead of fondant or sugar bricks. 

[Ben Framed]

The mountain camp method is basically putting a sheet of newspaper(wax paper) on top of the frames.  Piling some dry sugar on it and spritzing it with water to clump it up (so the bees don't carry the sugar out as trash).  It is a quick way to put sugar on a hive instead of fondant or sugar bricks.

Thanks cao, I knew of the method that you described but didn't know it as the mountian camp method, or that was the name of the method..  many thanks , Phillip Hall

[Vance G]

We here at the North end of the Rocky Mountain range, have had at least an open winter if not a lack of winter.  Little dusting of snow today but snow on the flats has been melted since Christmas.  Bees have been flying some most every week so winter stores are taking a beating.  I opened all of my colonies ten days ago and the inspection was beneficial in that one colony had eaten every speck of the ten pounds of MC sugar on the top was gone.  I don't care if they hauled half out the front door, it was no longer there to eliminate starvation.  I put on some simple sugar bricks 10lb sugar and two cups water, stir and pack in paper soup bowl form; and marked the colony to be used up making nucs beginning of May with caged queens.  It will take at least three!  This hive is stuffed with bees!  The genetics don't need passed on but the intrinsic value of the bees is too great to teach them a lesson by letting them starve to death.  I will be checking it soon to make sure it does not run out of feed.

 In my experience here in zone 3/4 is that a hive can be opened any month of the year IF you have a lid that reseals and you only do the action for a reason.  Mine will be reopened mid February to add more sugar if necessary and to start putting on pollen patties.  My objective is to super when the fruit and dandelion bloom and requeen.  I think a lot of honey is left on the trees because people won't super early.  I basically follow Mel Disselkoens OTS methodology to control swarming.

[Acebird]

Wouldn't it make more sense to leave them 20 extra pounds of honey especially if they are going to dump 1/2 the 20 pounds of sugar out the door?

[Vance G]

I get over a hundred dollars for twenty pounds of honey.  I pay less than ten dollars for twenty pounds of sugar.  I am not a mathematician but my labor is useless except to me but it seems to work out and I don't lose any colonies to starvation which really bothers me since I am fond of bees.

[tycrnp]

So in NW Florida, where they fly probably 350 days out of the year, I have left them plenty of honey, do I need to feed pollen over the winter?  Also, what are your thoughts on winter grease patties?

[iddee]

Pollen is for raising brood. Adult bees use very little, if any, pollen for themselves. In Florida, there should be more than enough pollen for them unless you plan to split heavily, like make 5 or more nucs from each 10 frame hive.

[Dimas]

I get over a hundred dollars for twenty pounds of honey.  I pay less than ten dollars for twenty pounds of sugar.  I am not a mathematician but my labor is useless except to me but it seems to work out and I don't lose any colonies to starvation which really bothers me since I am fond of bees.

Our honey costs in bulk 50 cents per foot. Sugar 50 cents for 2 pounds

[ParksMtnApiary]

I?ll usually tip hives to get idea of weight couple times a month during winter. If seems light I?ll make a candy board to put on. Warm (50+ degrees) late feb or March I might pull top and take a look. Maybe feed if needed and pollen paddy

[Ben Framed]

I?ll usually tip hives to get idea of weight couple times a month during winter. If seems light I?ll make a candy board to put on. Warm (50+ degrees) late feb or March I might pull top and take a look. Maybe feed if needed and pollen paddy

Parks, I have leaned this too. After this string of freezing weather I plan to recap my hives with another round of Mountain Camp, (if needed).

Phillip