Feeding Honey Bees. Beekeeping Winter & Spring. Different Methods
Pure Comb Honey from www.DurhamsBeeFarm.com Feeding Honeybees info for new beekeepers. The most critical time to watch your bees is not in the Winter, provided they have enough honey, but in the Spring right before the big honey flow starts. The Queen starts laying in Jan. and increases laying every day and the hive might reach a very large number of bees right before the honey flow (as we beekeepers call it) starts. Sometimes the bees will actually be living hand to mouth just before the heavy spring nectar flow. One day of rain could mean the difference between death of the hive or making a good honey crop. Regardless of the amount of sugar syrup you are mixing, a good rule of thumb is fill the container ½ with sugar then finish filling with warm water mixing well so the sugar will dissolve. I will answer your questions. Go to our site www.DurhamsBeeFarm.com and click on ( contact us )
10 Responses to Feeding Honey Bees. Beekeeping Winter & Spring. Different Methods
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Not easy to Answer. So many variables. Years ago you could get you a hive & it would survive without your care. Today enemies of the bees, mites & hive beetles can be their demise if you don’t intervene. Like a cattle farmer, if he doesn’t care for his cattle, they won’t make it & this is true with just about everything. With care, the hive can survive for years. If they run out of room, can’t make any honey. Not the best example but, cows utters are full, can’t make more milk. Tim Sr.
WallsBeeMan
December 14, 2012 at 10:35 am
how long will a hive last? like do you have to buy new bees every year? also what happens if the hive gets to full? thanks friend
Connor Keegan
December 14, 2012 at 11:06 am
They are bees not chikens…. Respect them and treat them as so….thats why there are bee feeding products they prove to be effective how sad that a “experience beekeeper” shows un profession ways to feed bees
piochas75
December 14, 2012 at 11:14 am
One more variable. If the winter is unusually warm, it will cause the bees to eat more honey than they normally would. If a heard of cattle eat up all the green grass, the farmer will feed them so they don’t starve.
WallsBeeMan
December 14, 2012 at 11:57 am
The answer is no. There are many correlations between Honeybees & people. Some hives eat more honey than others. Some Queens lay a lot more eggs earlier in January then other queens requiring a lot more honey. Several variables cause one hive to need a lot more food than another. One hive is needing food and another hive has more than they need, we take 2 to 3 frames of honey from the heavy hive & give to the needy. Hope this answers your questions.
WallsBeeMan
December 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm
if you have to feed in winter does that mean that you did not leave enough honey for the winter?
J Rivera
December 14, 2012 at 1:10 pm
No, eating honey will not effect in any way your son being highly sensitive to bee sting venom. Also: I have to say first that I am not a doctor, not even close as we are beekeepers. Being allergic to bee stings has nothing to do with consuming bee products. The best example I can think of is, people who are lactose intolerant can’t drink milk but they can eat beef. People who are allergic to eating eggs can eat chicken.
WallsBeeMan
December 14, 2012 at 1:20 pm
My son is allergic to bees I heard eatting local honey helps is that true?
RuthiePople
December 14, 2012 at 1:46 pm
If you are using an inner cover with a top cover, place something about 1/4″ thick under the inner cover so the inner cover does not lay flat all around the top of the brood box. This lets the moist air flow from inside the hive to the outside. Hope this helps you. Tim Sr.
WallsBeeMan
December 14, 2012 at 2:42 pm
What is the best way for me to make ventilation at the top of the hive ? Thank You for your help!
flatpicker1234
December 14, 2012 at 2:56 pm