feeding

[tryintolearn]

whats the best way to feed dry sugar and is it good for them??? can they reach it if i place on paper on top of frames?   frost will freeze if i have a jar of 2/1 sugarwater correct?

hive is feeling kind of light

[BjornBee]

Here is a page that may help.

http://www.pennapic.org/feedingsugar.html

[BlueBee]

Nice link BjornBee.  A good description of the process.  I remember T Beek telling us he fed dry sugar in this fashion.  Can I ask you (BjornBee) if you personally feed dry sugar? 

I'm not passing any judgement one way or another since I've never tried it, but I am curious to know how well it might work....in case I ever need it.

[BjornBee]

Thank you Bluebee.

Yes, I feed that way when needed. Those picture are from one of my hives. The key with dry sugar is to place it after normal activity has slowed down with cold weather. If not, bees may begin dragging out each granule of sugar and discard it outside the hive.

I much prefer fondant but the cost has gone up over the years and sugar is a bit less expensive.

Last year I had some rather large piles on some full size hives. I left the sugar on through spring and the bees hollowed out the sugar and then built comb inside the sugar cavity. Had nice brood going and all. But I did not have the camera handy. :(

If the bees are starving, they tend to gravitate to the top of the hive and under the inner cover. This way they save energy by being where the trapped heat is. And they will slowly eat the sugar all winter. I have saved many hives this way. And I know without it, many of the stacked nucs would run out of stores.

[tryintolearn]

tried the fondant they ate it in a day and a half....lol ouch

[minz]

I ususally put a candy board on them but got lazy this year.  I had some pretty light going into September so gave them a gallon baggy of 2:1.  When it got cold I just poured the sugar onto the plastic bag on the top bars.  I do have concern that they will not get around the bag to get at it.  I just figure they may be able to move some to where they can get at it before it is dire. 

[little john]

I've got two light hives (first-winter-colonies) which I'm now overwintering with overhead 2:1 and candy in place. I tried commercial fondant overhead but it started dissolving into a gooey sticky mess - so it got recycled into the candy.

LJ

[Cedar Hill]

    Although a number of beekeepers pour sugar on newspaper placed right on the frames, this method can and does lead to major ant problems in the spring.   Far better to pour the sugar around the center hole of the inner cover.   Moisture from the bees, that is not completely exhausted through the front top vent, will collect in the sugar, perhaps making it more attractive to them.   In the spring, all the remaining sugar, placed in this way, can be poured into containers to make sugar syrup.   None will be wasted.   If placed directly above the frames, much of it will fall to the bottom board, and if a screen bottom board is used, the sugar will fall to the ground itself, thus drawing the ants to the hive.   None will be recoverable for the sugar syrup.   OMTCW