Bees not finding sugar water

[Fishing-Nut]

We are in a drought right now. Haven't had rain in weeks. It's been pretty hot and dry to say the least. I've got 2 healthy hives here. It might just be me but it seems like the bees have slowed down. I put out a small bowl of sugar water yesterday morning in their flight path about 300 ft in front of their hives figuring that they might need a little feed. So far not one bee has touched it. Are they not needing it or not finding it?

[Oldbeavo]

Open a hive and see if they have a shake in the frames, they probably don't need it.
They prefer nectar to sugar water.

[paus]

I am not an advocate of honey in open feeding but in this case a drop or two might tell you something . My thought is that the bees prefer something else.

[AR Beekeeper]

Sugar syrup has little or no odor, when open fed it is hard for bees to find it.  It would be best to feed the colonies with a feeder that is inside the colony.  Feeding from the top works well, a quart jar with holes in the lid placed over the hole in the inner cover, or placed on scrap wood 3/8 in. high so that there is a bee space below, placed on top of the frames and covered with an empty super.

[van from Arkansas]

FishNut, A DROUGHT????  we are flooding in Arkansa, pouring this minute, just pouring rain,  rain predicted every day, next 4-5 days.  Oh ya, lighting and thunder too with occasional tornadoes...  What a different a few hundred miles makes.  Wildflowers everywhere but the rain washes off the pollen and nectar.

Not complaining, Id rather have rain than drought and wildfires.

I sincerely hope our Arkansas rains head east to states that need the moisture.

[The15thMember]

We?ve been in a drought here too, Van, but your rain should be hitting us sometime tomorrow. 

[van from Arkansas]

Member, we, Arkansas is supposed to receive rain Thursday through Sunday.  Like 4 days in a row.  Just north, Missouri has 400 roads closed.

I have queens hatching this Sunday, 6/9/19 in a queen rite finisher.  The queen cells are all caged independently so they should be fine.

Main concern is the Mississippi Delta is not planted and may not bee planted this year.  The window for planting opportunity is fast closing.  The Delta provides millions of acres of farmland, I believe 1/3 of all USA crops originate in the delta.  Just wait for the price increases of groceries this August on....

[The15thMember]

Member, we, Arkansas is supposed to receive rain Thursday through Sunday.  Like 4 days in a row.  Just north, Missouri has 400 roads closed.

I have queens hatching this Sunday, 6/9/19 in a queen rite finisher.  The queen cells are all caged independently so they should be fine.

Main concern is the Mississippi Delta is not planted and may not bee planted this year.  The window for planting opportunity is fast closing.  The Delta provides millions of acres of farmland, I believe 1/3 of all USA crops originate in the delta.  Just wait for the price increases of groceries this August on....

That's crazy.  Hopefully you guys have some dry weather coming.  Our whole next week of weather says rain.  Things are looking up for the garden.       

[BeeMaster2]

Van,
You can have my dry weather. My pastures are turning brown and I had to put a roll of hay out yesterday for the second time. Yesterday it poured down rain for a couple of hours while I was doing a cutout and it was raining on my way home last night up until I got within 5 miles of my farm. Not one drop. Today we had several storms, some north and some south, none here. Hopefully we will get some soon.
Jim Altmiller