I am confused. If you leave the bees adequate stores of their own honey - why do we need to leave a sugar board?
Rob
Insurance. I have one colony that has almost used up their stores (the others are still plenty heavy) with at least 6 more weeks of winter to go, I'm glad I made up the fondant when I did.
I made up some fondant today. When I checked on the girls yesterday, I saw lots of bees. I didn't check for stores, not wanting to disturb them much. But I figure if they're in the top super, they may be consuming the last of their stores. So I boiled up some water and sugar, and poured it into wax-paper lined panes, and the girls will get it to use or not, as needed.
One interesting thing: there was no moisture at all on the inner or outer cover yesterday, but I did see some today on the telescoping cover, just outside the cut out I made for them on the inner cover. Funny to think of the bees exhaling moisture, just as we do.
Quote from: fivesonI am confused. If you leave the bees adequate stores of their own honey - why do we need to leave a sugar board?
Rob
Or as Finman will tell you it is a matter of economics. Honey is more valuable than sugar, so rob the more expensive honey and feed them the cheaper sugar.
I tend to have the same philosophy as golfpsycho, sugar is cheap insurance that your bees don't starve. If you make a sugar board, there is no waste. What they don't consume this year, you can save and give back to them next year.
QuoteI tend to have the same philosophy as golfpsycho, sugar is cheap insurance that your bees don't starve. If you make a sugar board, there is no waste.
And 75 cents for sugar is cheaper than $60 for a package of bees. :P
Quote from: fivesonI am confused. If you leave the bees adequate stores of their own honey - why do we need to leave a sugar board?
Rob
In my case, it was because of the mite treatment and the weather. When I treated my hives, the population dropping off significantly. But the weather stayed relatively warm and the queen ended up laying a few thousand eggs in November, and consumed most of their stores then. I tried feeding them more syrup, but it was difficult getting them to take much more that late in the season. So I put a sugar board on. And it seems to be getting them through.
-- Kris