when should i stop feeding ? i'm guessing, when the mid-day high temps are only in the 40's, right ? or should i stop sooner for some reason that is unknown to me ?
How much in food stores do they have? That is the question. If they have enough, they you should not be feeding.
I think I read somewhere you should stop feeding when the daytime temps are no higher than 60? 50? Anyway I am pretty sure you shouldn't be feeding syrup in the 40s. If the syrup is too cold it will chill the bees. You could put on warm syrup in small amounts but if the bees have clustered up they aren't going to get it. (Don't take anything I just said as gospel).
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It seems to me that you live in New Jersey and autumn is coming there. You feed for wintering, I suppose.
First you should restrict the winterinf room as small as posibble that bees may stay there.
Then feed them as much as they do not take any more.
You should ask from local beekeepers what is the last time when your hives should be feeded for winter.
It is not wearther dependent. Some Ochtober is cold and some is warm. You cannot know it and it is better to act according the worst case.
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If syrup is too cold, bees do not take it. They retreat into the hive to keep brood alive. I put newspapers around feeding box that it keeps its heat over night.
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bulldog writes:
when should i stop feeding ? i'm guessing, when the mid-day high temps are only in the 40's, right ? or should i stop sooner for some reason that is unknown to me ?
tecumseh:
I often feed (in past winters) with the temperature in the mid 40's. at that temperature you want to do it quick and disturb the cluster as little as possible. most time I will just slide over my migratory cover and pour syrup in a frame feeder without really taking off the lid. a hive top feeder would eliminate even the need to slide the lid over.
My friend told me today that when it gets below 60 the bees have a hard time condensing the syrup down. Much colder than that and they can't void waste.