dry sugar feeding

[mushmushi]

Hey guys,

Some questions about dry sugar feeding.

Yes, I have read http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#drysugar

Can you feed your hives with it in autumn instead of 2:1 syrup ?

Would they take it from a Miller feeder or  is it just better to go with sugar on the inner cover ?

How do the bees store it ?

Do they need water to process it ?

Thank you

[Finski]

Hey guys,


Can you feed your hives with it in autumn instead of 2:1 syrup ?

In Canada, absolutely not in autumn.

It cannot be fed either ´during winter because they need water outside to eate it.

For winter hives must be fed during one week that they do not prolong brooding.

[mushmushi]

In that case, when would one feed them with sugar in my climate ? In spring/summer ?

[Kathyp]

i put dry sugar on for winter.  it is so wet here that i find the sugar absorbs enough moisture to make it into something like a candy board.  it is emergency feeding.  it's there so that if i don't get a chance to make sure they still have food, they have something to hold them.

[Michael Bush]

>Can you feed your hives with it in autumn instead of 2:1 syrup ?

It will add enough food and weight to make up a deficiency of food.  It will not be handled the same.  The end result is not the same.  They will store the syrup and try to make it into "honey".  They will not store the sugar they will eat it when they run out of stores.

>Would they take it from a Miller feeder or  is it just better to go with sugar on the inner cover ?

Neither the inner cover nor the miller feeder will work well when it's really cold.  They will not be able to access either without leaving the cluster.  Dry sugar is there for emergency food when they get to the top and have nothing to eat.  If it's not in contact with the cluster it will not serve it's purpose when it's really cold.  Newspaper on the top bars and sugar on top of the newspaper is what I'm doing.  Or at least a frame feeder that is right next to the cluster.

>How do the bees store it ?

For the most part they don't.  They eat it.

>Do they need water to process it ?

There is plenty of condensation in the winter and yes they need it but they will have it already.

[FRAMEshift]

It cannot be fed either ´during winter because they need water outside to eate it.

Finski, It must be that your winter air is very dry.  In most of the US there is plenty of  condensate inside the hive to provide winter water.

[Finski]

It cannot be fed either ´during winter because they need water outside to eate it.

Finski, It must be that your winter air is very dry.  In most of the US there is plenty of  condensate inside the hive to provide winter water.

most of USA? That is the mistake when you nurse bees like most of UsA.

I cannot see no reason to feed in winter dry sugar.

My 2 box hives need 25 kg dry sugar during winter. It is simple to put into combs as syrup where bee cluster is.

It is needles to depate with folks which are not even interested listen.  you have so great systems, like to kill hives because it is vein to try keep them alive in the zone where we have all beekeeping.