Jan & Feb Feeding

[beebabyelle1]

We have one of those Styrofoam hive top feeders and are getting ready to start feeding but are wondering if the sugar water will still freeze, and if so what temperature will it freeze at. We know it depends on what concentration the sugar is, should we feed 2 to 1 or 2 to 2?

[ski]

Why do you want to feed in January?
If its just to keep them alive why not use the mountain camp method? Which is just dry sugar on newspaper on the top bars.

If you really want to feed syrup, I would recommend just what they will consume in a day when the temps are above 50.

[Wally]

Freezing isn't the problem. Bees will NOT take sugar water that is less than 55 degrees. 1 to 1 is to get the queen to lay eggs. 2 to 1 is to feed the bees that you have now.

[Jacobs]

I have been using an external feeder with honey water all winter. The bees know the location about 30 feet from the hives and fly to it when they want it. A few have come to it on sunny days when the air temperature was as low as 36°F. I get the pleasure of seeing the bees when they choose to fly, but am not adding moisture to the hive--condensation can kill a cluster.

A little over a week ago, I began putting out the dry brewers yeast mix as a pollen substitute. Yesterday, the bees were far more interested in it than they were the honey water. I am purposely trying to stimulate brood rearing at my home hives to try and have resources available if any of my other hives need boosting with a frame of brood in early spring.

[beebabyelle1]

The reason we want to feed is that we lost 2 hives last year and think it was due to lack of food and the very cold winter. It could have been to a combination of those and condensation. Think we will try the granulated sugar on the news paper this weekend while the temperatures are warmer. The split we tried last year did not take so now we are down to 1 hive but it is a feral one we had started from a swarm and they seem very hearty.

[ski]

Sugar on the top bars can be emergency feed as well as some moisture control. There are several threads on besource.com on the mountain camp method.
You can use a shim or an extra box around the sugar. I used a shim in the picture below. Sometimes I think the bees eat the sugar before they uncap their stores.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... r003-1.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... gar007.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... gar008.jpg

[ski]

I also usually have some syrup out for the bees in the winter and like Rob I see a few bees. But since Rob mentioned the dry pollen sub I went ahead and put a little out yesterday and this morning had some interest from the bees. I need to put a good supply out for them now. Thanks for mentioning Rob.
I have also had a pollen patty out all winter and there has been no interest from the bees but I think I have well fed mice.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... f837ea.jpg

A few more showed up today Monday 1/19/2015
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... d2f434.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... f9c1d3.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... b97e1e.jpg

[beebabyelle1]

What does your external feeder look like Rob? Is it something we can make?

[beebabyelle1]

Found some interesting designs online

[Becky Hampton]

I've been using the mountain camp feeding method with the dry sugar on newspaper this winter. My two strong hives have taken to it like crazy. when you get close to the hive, it sounds like sleet with them eating through the newspaper and sugar.
My weak hive has no interest in eating anything. I finally gave them honey that I bought from another beekeeper (since I ran out) and they liked that. I'm really not sure they're going to make it. They keep dwindling and the cluster gets smaller and smaller. It's down to just being on a few frames in the top box.

[Locust & Honey]

We have been feeding sugar water and pollen substitute all winter long. Its very rare to not see them eating when its clear and sunny.....almost regardless of the temps. I have been amazed at how much they have eaten all winter long.

[Jacobs]

My bees have shown almost no interest in the honey water feeder I keep in my yard. They have been bringing in lots of pollen, but more bees are flying than coming back with pollen. At least until this cooler period, the bees may have been finding nectar sources that were more attractive than honey water. I'm going to put a small bowl of brewers yeast mix by the feeder to test the bees interest now that we are going to have a few dry days.

[donwal]

My girls seem to have plenty of honey stores, but they enjoyed the sugar block I gave them today. They have been busy bringing in a lot of pollen today. Just about every worker coming back has pollen. Pete (the hubby) said there was a tree blooming around the pond. I have not been out there yet to see what is blooming. I hope this is a good sign it's going to be a good year. Small video below of the girls flying and enjoying their treat.

https://youtu.be/YVmsIVRGGOc