Feeding

ski · Post by **ski** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:44 pm

Feed feed feed
The bees will stop taking the syrup when they have had enough.

I am NO longer supporting sugar sales.

The two hives started from nucs are pretty much honey or sugar syrup bound If that new queen ever gets mated she may find there is no room at the inn. It seem that as soon as they draw out some foundation they fill it with nectar or syrup.

I filled the hive top feeder with water there may have been a few drops of sugar left in the feeder but not much. The diet starts now.

I added a medium hive body with 4.9 foundation and starter strips hoping they will use some of the stores they have to draw out the new frames.

Well I have found that its easy to mismanage bees.

Any suggestions about what I have done or something else I can do?

Locust&Honey · Post by **Locust&Honey** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:01 am

I am not trying to be an expert but this is what I have noticed in my hives. I stopped feeding altogether about 3 or 4 weeks ago and I am seeing the same thing you are but like I said I have stopped feeding. The hives seem to be full of honey everywhere. All the new comb in the new hives have been filled with honey also. I expected to see lots of egss but nothing but honey. Not too sure if it is mismanagement or not. I will be excited to see the others response!!!

Kurt Bower · Post by **Kurt Bower** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:07 am

It does not mean you have mis-managed. It all depends on what you want the end result to be.
If you want to make honey, make honey.
If you want to raise bees, raise bees.
If you want to go all natural don't, treat and dont feed and see how the bees fare.
It's all up to you!

Kurt

Post by **Wally** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:49 am

have not fed since february. I only did it then to get the queen started laying so I could split. I have added deeps to both parts of the split, and have still not fed. They have been slow at building up the foundation, but they are getting there. The queen right hive got the deep first, and I just gave then a supper on the day of the field day. The bees are in the box, but it does not appear that they are drawing out comb.

I have fed the swarm about 1 qt. of syrup, but they too are on there on now.

Posted by Ron Young, acidentally deleted by me.

ski · Post by **ski** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 1:08 pm

L&H thanks for that reply that you have the same condition. I am concerned that the brood best is filled with syrup or nectar and there is limited space to lay eggs.
I think I would checker board at this time but I have a deep with a medium above it.

In the class we were told to stay ahead of the bees. I was ahead of them but they turned and went a different direction. I am pretty much confused and reacting at this point. I guess we will see how it turns out. This is going to be a fun first year.

Ski

Post by **Wally** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 3:48 pm

ski, I have deeps if you want to checkerboard.

ski · Post by **ski** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:14 pm

Let me ponder that Wally.
I was hoping to go to all mediums, but it seems to make sense to add a deep and checker board now.
Yes, let me ponder.

Locust&Honey · Post by **Locust&Honey** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:11 pm

I don't know how to stay in front of them with new hives. They also said in class not to go into your bees too much. That was a mistake with one hive. That is why I have too much honey instead of egg frames. Who knew they would draw out AND fill 5 NEW FRAMES with only foundation IN ONLY 5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a DEEP Super. They were already capping over the honey on those frames also. I would believe that you wouldn't want to bother them for atleast 2 weeks minimum because I just did a split on them. There goes my thinking. This first year is all about learning. I am doing lots of that. A wise man told me what a bear said one time...."with those bees, you just never can tell."