Medicine in hive top feeder

[jester7891]

Hi! I've been reading a lot of entries about putting medicine in the hive top feeders.  I will be getting my first 2 sets of bees in about 3-4 weeks (NJ/PA border).  I was told that I would have to medicate in the Fall but not this Spring.  Do you agree? What about Honey B Healthy? Thanks.

[Jerrymac]

Want is it everybody is medicating for? I forget.

Some people don't medicate.
Some people medicate only when there is a need for it.
Some people seem to constantly throw all kinds of stuff into their hives. Do they actually eat the honey?

[Scadsobees]

HB-healthy is one of those optional addititons that doesn't actually fix anything.  It isn't a medicine, I think it advertises that the bees will be "healthier" but doesn't have any medical claims.

It will get the bees to take the syrup quicker.  The problem is that some of those bees might not belong to that hive (robbing).  Usually once the bees find the syrup they don't need anything else to attract them.

It is nice for killing the bees scent when combining, or calming them down. 

I think that the only medication that you'd feed in syrup is for Nosema, and that you feed in the fall. 

Additionally, when you feed in the spring (now this is different when starting packages, since they won't be storing any for a while) you also have a higher chance of contaminating the honey, since they start storing it in the spring.

Rick

[Cindi]

Medicating in the spring.  We were taught that it as imperative, if medicating, for example, for nosema (and yes, that can be done in the spring if it is suspected, nosema can have some bad effects on the honeybees, do some research, it will be understood how nosema affects the honeybees) to not treat after any time after 45 days prior to the anticipated honeyflow. This allows the bees to cure the nectar, medicated sugar syrup, whatever, and consume it themselves, before the flow is on and they are storing honey for human consumption.

This was an extremely important part of the instructions to the beekeepers.

NO MEDICATING OF ANY SORT AFTER 45 DAYS PRIOR TO THE HONEYFLOW  Beautiful day, and love this beautiful life we're livin'.  Cindi

[bassman1977]

In the 3 years that I have been keeping bees, I haven't put a drop of medication in any of my hives, never treated for mites (I use small cell and even during the regression, my mite count was low), never had a problem.  More money to spend on other things now.   :-D

[Jerrymac]

HB-healthy is one of those optional addititons that doesn't actually fix anything. 

It will get the bees to take the syrup quicker. 

Guess I better not use it. If the bees sucked it up any faster they would collapse the inverted jar.  :-D