So it is the depths of winter down here in Tasmania - which are probably (very) mild by US standards...
I had a look in my hive today just to make sure that my girls were doing OK. Well I think they must be because they still have enough "get up and go" in them - my normally placid girls decided to launch an attack party.
My question is - my girls still seem to have enough food reserves in the hive but how close to spring should I start feeding them so that the colony builds up strongly before the nectar flow?
A lot depends on your weather and spring bloom. Not knowing your conditions, I would say start feeding a month before the spring blooms start.
What exactly is your goal? Spring honey? Build-up in order to split? etc.
In my conditions, spring is the dearth so an early build-up can cause the population to rise prematurely then subside before the real flow. It can also make swarm control more of a challenge.
as soon as they start brood rearing they can go through stores fast! i don't know if you know your pollen and nectar sources, but if you can find out, the queen will usually begin laying well as soon as you have a pollen source in your area.
here i put on pollen patties about 2 months before spring starts. days are above freezing, but nights may not be. i leave dry sugar on the inner cover until i can begin putting out syrup. they don't take the syrup when it's cold, so putting it out to early is a waste.
i would keep a close eye on your stores as you get closer to spring. if you notice an increase in brood production and/or decrease in stores, be prepared to feed...at least on warmer days. starvation happens for most of us in the spring when we don't realize how quickly they have started to build up.
I feed as soon as the weather is warm enough for them to take it, this feeding starts early brrod rearing and I stop feeding when the flow starts and I add supers! it is good to feed as soon as possibly to ensure them not starving, most hives really burn through winter stores when brood rearing starts so it is best to feed when possible.
Thanks everyone. I just checked the hive today and they still have plenty of stores... so I'll keep an eye on when the Queen starts to lay again. At the moment it is still too cold anyway - although I did see some bees coming back with some pollen when the sun came out for a couple of hours today... I suppose the motto is to observe and learn.