Fall feeding down south

[Mason]

I have 2 hives with 2 full deep brood boxes.

It's still pretty warm here and the bees are flying all day and bringing in some pollen but not creating any stores.  I began feeding about a month ago 2-1 and they have been taking about 1 half gallon of syrup every 2 days.  I have been checking them every 3 days and the syrup is gone.

My last inspection was this past weekend.  Very healthy hives,  lots of bees,  lots of brood and absolutely no capped stores.  It seems that they are burning through the feed before they store it. 

I do not want to go into cold weather we no stores.  It's tricky here in the south because we do have "indian summers" where the bees work but don't produce.  The cold hits fast and sporadic in this area.  The saying is if you don't like the weather in Atlanta wait a minute.  Any input? 

[AllenF]

2 deeps of honey?   No need to feed any more.   Check them in February and you can feed then if they need it.

[specialkayme]

2 Deeps of Honey, or 2 deeps of brood? Or brood within 2 deeps, with space?

I'm slightly confused.

[tecumseh]

I wouldn't let the fact that the stores are uncapped bother me much at this time of year.  It will just mean the provisions are easier to get to when the time comes.  I would be more concerned in the weight of the hives than anything else.  That is a lot of feed you are pouring into the hives.  Perhaps think about not feeding at all for a while, changing you frequency of feeding, change feeder or perhaps feed 2 to 1.

[Joelel]

We don't ever feed unless they need it.

[hardwood]

In the deep south we don't worry too much about fall feeding/winter stores as there are plenty of flying days for most of the year.
This does not mean you can just leave them bee. You need to check on them and feed when needed.

Scott

[AllenF]

Right now in north Georgia, this is our fall flow, just the couple of weeks that the goldenrod is in bloom.   Honey is coming in the hives right now.   

[ArmucheeBee]

I am 45 minutes north of you.  Aster started blooming this week too.  Last year my hives did not start capping the syrup until the end of October into November.  Look and see if the cells are being filled, they probably are.  You have been feeding a long, long time.  You may have tricked them into thinking times were good and they started producing lots and lots of bees. 

I only feed for winter in the middle of October, about 1 gallon/day for 3 days straight on one hive then stop.  This gives them just enough to get through winter.  They cap it at the end of October/November AFTER it actually turns to honey--you have to think about that too.  They will not cap if it is not ready yet, I mean just because it is a full cell of sugar water, it may not be ready to cap for them. 

You will get pollen brought in during November from invasive species of shrub like Groundsel Shrub.  And then watch in early January on warm days--what the hell they get pollen from then I do not know.  I have searched every where for it.  Must be some type of maple or invasive in my area.

[tecumseh]

armuchee writes:
Must be some type of maple or invasive in my area.

tecumseh:
here it would be red maple and elm at that time of year.

[tillie]

Tecumseh is right - the red maple is our first pollen source in early - late January in Georgia.

Linda T in Atlanta

[Mason]

This is very helpful.

I have 2 deeps of brood with some space.  I started feeding right at the longest day of summer.  They had virtually no stores at that time when only a couple of weeks before they had honey.  My thoughts at the time were that I would just feed a couple of weeks to get through the what I had determined was a summer dearth.  Hey I'm still new.....

I'm going to pull the feeders off for a couple of weeks and see how things develop.  It would seem from your post that I may have panicked a bit prematurely and that I still have plenty of time and flow left before winter sets. 

[AllenF]

Here in north Georgia, the honey flow is over by the start to mid of July, when we pull the supers.  They basically starve until 2 weeks ago when the goldenrod kicked in.  Then we can see if they are heavy enough to make it through winter.  Mid October we can feed them all they need until mid Feb to March.   :-D

[Mason]

I did an inspection this weekend.  They look great!  Almost a full medium of capped honey on both hives.  The queen is laying nicely and (I think) they are not over crowded. 

Hot digity! 

Would it be correct to assume that if the bees are flying in large numbers they are collecting something?

[Tommyt]

Would it be correct to assume that if the bees are flying in large numbers they are collecting something?

YES
Collecting their thoughts about swarming  :shock:


:-D Tommyt

[tecumseh]

mason writes:
I have 2 deeps of brood with some space.  I started feeding right at the longest day of summer.  They had virtually no stores at that time when only a couple of weeks before they had honey.  My thoughts at the time were that I would just feed a couple of weeks to get through the what I had determined was a summer dearth.  Hey I'm still new.....

tecumseh:
there was nothing wrong with your thinking beyond determining when enough was enough.  feeding at that juncture of time was good since it also means you will have a good number of young bees going into the winter.

if you had let the hive(s) go their own way during the summer dearth then quite likely they would be dead now and at least I have never been able to figure out how to raise a honey crop or produce nucs from a dead hive of bees.

some kind of scaling device to determine weight might be useful.   once a person has some level of experience usually hefting the hive (is it feather light or heavy like a brick???) tells you all you need to know.

flying strongly should not be assumed to mean some nectar is coming in the front door.  most times it means there is but not always. 

[Mason]

Collecting their thoughts about swarming

You guys are going to give me a nervous break down.  If they swarm this time of year I'm done for.  They have open frames and cells in the lower so I hope not.

[Tommyt]

Collecting their thoughts about swarming

You guys are going to give me a nervous break down.  If they swarm this time of year I'm done for.  They have open frames and cells in the lower so I hope not.

Mason
I joke from time too time
This is one of the times :-D

I am nothing more than a Very new bee Keeper
Hope I didn't upset you too much

Tommyt

I'll try harder next time  
:-D

[Mason]

Not upset,

I am rolling into my second winter.  I lost my hives last year due to still undetermined causes and really want to make it through my first winter and have a shot at some honey next year.

Just trying and hoping I do the right things.