When NOT to feed bees

[Powisden]

I have tons of literature, videos etc about how to feed bees but nothing on when NOT to feed them. I suppose if the answer is out there if they tell you when to feed them but I was wondering if there were definitely any times when feeding them is the very last thing you should do.

[Spear]

Well I would say a good strong hive during a flow is one you would not want to feed. Or any hive that you are wanting to harvest honey from that has a super on. I don't like to feed unless I really have to - to help a weak hive build up or to ensure winter food supply for a hive that had too much honey taken off late in the season.

[sc-bee]

You usually only feed to get you hive built up and started. After that feed in a dearth or winter to prevent starvation. Basically you should leave enough honey for the bees to sustain themselves, if you fall short feed to save them. And then you may have to feed them to build them back up. You should not have to feed during a flow as they should gather enough for themselves and hopefully some surplus for you. Bees will take too much feed, sometimes even during a flow, and the queen can become honey bound. That will induce swarming or restrict growth depending on the cylce your bees are in at the time. So what you read about they won't take it unless they need it is not necessarily true.

A lot of beekeeping is about location that is why pinning down a question like "when not feed bees" is hard. Climate is different, flows for a particular area or region or different, even different races of bees can be different etc. I can see a difference in bee forage between my area and 40 miles down the road. A local beekeeper will be your best source of information.

[Powisden]

Ok, thank you for the replies. Would it be OK or advisable to feed them when I first install them? Just for a few days?

[iddee]

There is only ONE time you should NOT feed them. It is when you are going to harvest the honey they put up with that feed.
All other times they can be fed if done properly. IE: Sugar water in freezing weather  is not doing it properly.

[sc-bee]

Ok, thank you for the replies. Would it be OK or advisable to feed them when I first install them? Just for a few days?

Yes - feed them to assit drawing comb until established. Most follow the 70 % rule of thumb. Feed until 70% is drawn out or until a flow starts and they will not take the feed.

[Vance G]

Do not feed the bees when you have supers on the hives so you don't put syrup in your honey.

If your bees have two to four frames of capped stores in the boxes single or multiple where the bees normally raise brood, you do not need to feed the bees and must be careful not to overfeed and leave the queen no place to lay. 

If you are going into your winter dearth the bees should be fed to insure they reach a weight that means they have enough stores to live thru the cold months.

If your hive is new, they need to be fed until all frames of foundation are drawn out.  Be sure to rotate the outer foundation frames into the brood nest one at a time so all frames get drawn out.

It is knowledge one gains with experience.  Feeding is not evil!  But it can be overdone.

[Michael Bush]

The time not to feed them is when you have no reason to feed them.  You could also not feed them when the reasons to feed them don't outweigh the reasons not to feed them.  A dearth can be the worst time because of robbing...

[sc-bee]

 A dearth can be the worst time because of robbing...

I worded the above wrong.... dearth was a poor choice of words. I should have said no flow and bees starving or needing feeding to survive. Sorry