how do you feed when it's very cold

phill · February 02, 2010, 11:18:49 AM

Last time I checked-- the only day in a month when it was warm enough to pop the lid for a few seconds-- my bees were getting near the top of the box, so I figure they're running low on stores.

I'd like to feed them. But I don't know how to do that without opening the box for a while. I don't want to freeze them, and there's no sign of temperatures above 30º here in the next 10 days.

Any advice?

lenape13 · February 02, 2010, 12:01:39 PM

We all load up and head for McDonald's or Wendy's. A couple of large sweet teas takes care of everyone, but finding all those bee-sized straws is a real killer.

Tucker1 · February 02, 2010, 12:28:52 PM

Last year, I used the slit plastic bag approach when I was worried about the girls not having enough to eat.

A large or several smaller zip lock bags are 3/4's filled with 2:1 sugar water. The bags are placed on the top of the upper level frames (You need to remove the top covers to do so.). With the bag or bags placed flat on the top of the hive frames , you very carefully slit the tops (Now the large flat exposed surface) of the zip lock bags with a razor or very sharp knife. (You might want to practice this in the kitchen with plain water until you feel confident in doing it.) By cutting a "X" on the top surface on the plastic bag, the girls have access to the sugar water. Surface tension and the bag keeps the sugar water from flowing all over the place.

It takes a bit of practice to become confident in cutting the "X". Too small of an "X" and the girls can't get to the fluid easily ...... too large of an "X" and you'll leak sugar water everywhere (which would be a disaster.) As several have already posted, always be concerned with condensation. It can be a very serious problem.

By being prepared, the time needed to place and cut the bags can be very short. There are other posts on this sight that can give you more information on the technique. I expect others have refined the process even further.

Good luck with your girls.

Regards,
Tucker1

BeeHopper · February 02, 2010, 12:38:14 PM

Quote from: lenape13 on February 02, 2010, 12:01:39 PM
We all load up and head for McDonald's or Wendy's. a couple of large sweet teas takes care of everyone, but finding all those bee-sized straws is a real killer.

I did that last year, when it was time to go home, we did a head count and we were a few hundred short, we left anyway. :evil:

For winter emergency feeding, just use dry sugar, fondant or a candy board right on top of the frames under the hive top.

D Coates · February 02, 2010, 12:42:57 PM

A 2.5 inch shim or empty super, and sheet of newspaper with 5 to 10 pounds granular sugar poured on top of it. Look up "Mountaincamp Feeding". It soaks up moisture and gives the bees stores to eat if they get to the top of the hive. It's easy, inexpensive, and most importantly, effective. You can also peak in to through the central hole in the inner cover (once you've taken off the outer cover) to see how much they have eaten and add more if needed.

Finski · February 02, 2010, 12:56:28 PM

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If weather is cold and the hive is in emergency, I put 60% syrup direct into combs and I put those combs into box, and the box under wintering box. During one week bees store syrupy in upper box.

This can be done only if the hive have made cleansing flight. I put at one time 5-10 kg sugar to bees.
Idea is that brood are stays warm and heat does not escape via feeding holes.

However normaly I move capped frames between wintered hives during spring that honey will not contain much winter sugar.

Robo · February 02, 2010, 01:44:13 PM

http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/emergency-feeding/

Scadsobees · February 02, 2010, 01:58:30 PM

It's ok to crack the top and peep in, even if below 30. Just minimize the noise, jostling, cracking covers, etc. Look for capped honey, if you can only see open cells, then you'll need to do something.

I use the shims too, single layer of newspaper, and dry sugar. Sometimes I'll glop some thick crystallized honey on there if i've got leftovers, they take that quicker, but either way will keep them alive till better methods can be used.

Rick

DM · February 02, 2010, 06:53:06 PM

I use a empty medium super for a shim with newspaper and dry sugar on top of the frames. Had to feed one hive today. No wind and sunny about 30 degrees. I will check them in two weeks or so. I have some old pine 2X4's and may make shims out of them to use instead of the medium supers. I only have two hives to manage so far. I have two packages on order for this spring.

Dennis

Finski · February 03, 2010, 12:30:30 AM

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Before cleansing flight I do not look bees at all. They have enough food, and if not the hive is dead.

In late half of March I lift with hand and try the weight of hives.

Hives are under snow now and I cant do nothinf during next 1,5 month. ut they are OK.

Two Bees · February 03, 2010, 12:21:55 PM

Ditto on the dry sugar. After reading Robo's and MB's "how tos", I loaded up one light hive with 30 pounds of sugar on Thanksgiving Day. Checked it this past week and the bees were all over it and have consumed about half. Good luck!

ONTARIO BEEKEEPER · February 03, 2010, 01:22:13 PM

I agree dry sugar.

phill · February 03, 2010, 01:34:22 PM

Thanks to all for the suggestions*. I've gone with the newspaper/dry sugar approach. Actually once I took a peek inside, I saw that the bees were in better shape than I'd imagined. I'm more confident that-- especially now with the sugar-- they'll pull through.

*- Yes, even you, Lenape13 ;-)

lenape13 · February 03, 2010, 01:48:13 PM

Good luck! We all need it these days.

deknow · February 03, 2010, 03:53:08 PM

The thing to keep in mind for emergency feeding in the winter, is that the bees need to be able to access the feed WITHOUT breaking the cluster.

The baggie feeder is out for this reason, bees either need to leave the cluster to access the top of the baggie, or the cluster must surround the baggie. I like baggies for feeding, but not emergency winter feeding.

Dry sugar works very well. Our experience is that smaller clusters did not take the sugar well. I expect this is because the cluster wasn't big enough to be producing enough moisture to deal with the dry sugar (the bees can't take the dry sugar without adding water).

If you have crystalized honey from a known good source (for me, this would be disease free, and treatment free...especially wrt antibiotics), you can either put it on a paper plate on the top bars. We slash the bottom of the plate a bit, and the bees are able to take the honey as needed without leaving the cluster.

Another method is to staple (and tape) manila folders into pouches. Fill these with crystallized honey. Use these pouches to replace frames buttressing the broodnest. Again, a few slashes in the side will give the bees easy access. Make sure you tape over the staples...not just to seal the packet, but when the bees chew out the paper, the staples will remain. The tape will stick to the staples, and keep them together (and not in your honey!).

deknow

Two Bees · February 03, 2010, 04:48:20 PM

I did a little modification of the newspaper and dry sugar thing from what I have seen posted.

Instead of leaving an opening at the end of the frames, I laid newspaper across all of the frames and cut a 2" x 4" hole in the center of the paper and poured sugar around this hole on all four sides of the empty "sugar" box.

I figured that the cluster would be in the center of the hive and as they moved up in the hive body, they could stand on their tiptoes to access the sugar. Watch out for those sugar avalanches!

Robo · February 03, 2010, 06:02:45 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on February 03, 2010, 04:48:20 PM
I did a little modification of the newspaper and dry sugar thing from what I have seen posted.

Instead of leaving an opening at the end of the frames, I laid newspaper across all of the frames and cut a 2" x 4" hole in the center of the paper and poured sugar around this hole on all four sides of the empty "sugar" box.

I figured that the cluster would be in the center of the hive and as they moved up in the hive body, they could stand on their tiptoes to access the sugar. Watch out for those sugar avalanches!

The cluster will chew through the newspaper wherever they come up (not necessarily the middle). By that time the sugar has usually absorbed enough moisture to be hard and prevent a sugar avalanche.

flower follower · February 03, 2010, 09:51:35 PM

When its very cold ,as long as the hive has enough honey storage,do not feed,the feeding will stimulate bees to fly out ,and quite of some will not return because of the coldness.If you have the capped honey comb,add it ,just put it above the top bars flatly,if it is late winter or early spring,it is enough anyway.