Hello I need a bit of advice, I fed the bees until the apple blossoms were out and I noticed the bees coming back with pollen on them, I have about 7 frames filled, and have added the next super, they were putting honey on top of the frames in the first super, but the last almost 2 weeks has been raining, and yesterday with the rain and cooler weather, I saw no activity in front of the hive, should I put some supplemental feed in the hive to help production, and will this kill them with all of the rain, the flowers are blooming, and things are growing but it is 60s weather and just alot of rain, in south Idaho. yuck.
Thanks all
Phillip
Is this a new package that was just installed? If so, I would feed them 1:1 sugar water. It will stimulate brood production until the weather clears....even then, if it is a new package, I would offer sugar water until they do not use it anymore.
I am having the same problems with rain! The rivers were above floodstage since Feb. here and now it is raining about everyday....I know the feeling.
Brenda
last year our early spring was like that. because i wasn't paying attention, i almost lost my hives. i caught them just in time. check your hives for stores and if they are lite, or the weather is going to continue to be poor, feed! if it is to nasty to check, feed.
Thank you I will begin feeding them again, this package has been in there for about a month or better, they have emptied the feeder but the apples were blossoming so I thought we were good, but I am going to feed more thank you very much.
Phil
I dont want to lose them this is too fun
Quote from: kathyp on June 11, 2009, 04:49:42 PM
last year our early spring was like that. because i wasn't paying attention, i almost lost my hives. i caught them just in time. check your hives for stores and if they are lite, or the weather is going to continue to be poor, feed! if it is to nasty to check, feed.
Last year our spring was like that and I lost 3 or 5 hives because the bees used up what stores they had and since they were busy building brood there wasn't that much in stores. End result was that they ended up eating eggs, larvae, and pupae in the white and then starving to death. Took all summer to nurse the remaining 2 hives back to strength enough to overwinter.
The moral of the story is that in the spring, when periods of prolonged inclimate weather occur, it is best to feed 'em or lose 'em.