feeding sugar syrup questions

[chickenwing654]

Hi,
I checked my hives in MA this weekend.  We are having a forty year drought in my area. I found no honey, no nectar anywhere.  Just brood and pollen on frames.

I decided to feed a 2 to 1 sugar syrup.  I was very careful not to spill any syrup.  I used one top feeder and one frame feeder.  Moments after closing the hives I think I witnessed some robbing going on.  It is dusk now (sunset in 45 minutes).  It was like they could smell it and was attracted to rob.

My questions are how do I stop the robbing tomorrow if it is still happening, and two is there a way to feed in a dearth (or whatever this is now).

I have plenty of bees, they did not swarm, I still have queen.

thanks
tazz

[chickenwing654]

Hi,

Also is there a better way to feed rather than a in hive feeder to prevent robbing?

thanks
Tazz

[Psparr]

You could either reduce the entrance or completely close it off with hardware cloth for the day.
You could open feed, but you'd be feeding everyone else's bees as well.

[sc-bee]

Did you feed them all. If so you will probably not have an issue.

[flyboy]

You could either reduce the entrance or completely close it off with hardware cloth for the day.
You could open feed, but you'd be feeding everyone else's bees as well.

Around here open feeding is illegal apparently. Discussed at the bee club meeting,

[cao]

>how do I stop the robbing tomorrow if it is still happening

Install a robbing screen and reduce entrance size.

>is there a better way to feed rather than a in hive feeder to prevent robbing

Not that I am aware of.  The farther away from the entrance the better.  It would help to fill feeders late in the day(less time to start a robbing frenzy).

[little john]

Small Entrance

Mesh Robber Screen

Internal Feeder

Feed last thng at night, with only enough so that they clear the feeder by morning.

If you can identify the hive doing the robbing, inspect it.  If it has plenty of stores, then feed it with very weak syrup (1:8 or thereabouts). If it is short of stores, then feed it with whatever you're feeding the rest with.

LJ

[GSF]

chickenwing, How or where is your feeder located at? Entrance, inner cover, ect.

[sc-bee]

chickenwing, How or where is your feeder located at? Entrance, inner cover, ect.

>I decided to feed a 2 to 1 sugar syrup.  I was very careful not to spill any syrup.  I used one top feeder and one frame feeder. <

[GSF]

Thanks sc, I'm batting a hundred today..,

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrobbing.htm

[chickenwing654]

Hi,
Update. I checked on my hives again today.  I definitely think robbing was going on.  I added a robbing screen to two of my hives. .

The nuc I reduced entrance.  They are in a feeding frenzy.

Thanks for the replies.

Tazz

[divemaster1963]

Here's a great link to a quick robber screen made easy.

http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188


Thanks to iddee for it. He needs to post it here so it can become a sticky note. For all to know about and have


John

[Johnny]

How can I keep sugar syrup from dripping from an inverted mason jar inside a topbar hive?
It is out of the feeder on the floor of the hive and drowning bees.

[Psparr]

How can I keep sugar syrup from dripping from an inverted mason jar inside a topbar hive?
It is out of the feeder on the floor of the hive and drowning bees.

Use the ziplock bag method.

[MikeyN.C.]

Also if lid holes were punched from inside , will make one drip. Inverter jar first and see if it leaks.

[GSF]

also make sure the lids on tight and the jar is full when you place it in there.

[Caribou]

I use the smallest drill bit in my index.  Try fewer holes.  I turn the jar upside down before I place it in the hive and let it take a vacuum.  That puts a bit of sugar water on the ground but better that than inside the hive.  If it doesn't quit dripping then you don't have a good seal.

[Johnny]

thanks for ideas