Feeding syrup to hungry bees?

[gardeningfireman]

My weaker hive swarmed two weeks ago with the new queen and her first batch of brood. Now I am waiting for the newest queen to start laying. The bottom brood box is pretty heavy with honey(I gave them a couple of full frames), but they have hardly drawn out any of the top box(which is why they swarmed in the first place, I think). I want to avoid another swarm, and I need them to start filling the top box for winter. Monday evening I gave them 2 1/2 quarts of syrup in the HT feeder. This morning(Wednesday) it was already empty! Is that unusually fast for a half strength hive or is that normal? Also, should I continue feeding through fall, or stop when the goldenrod is in full bloom (it is just starting now)?Thanks for all the input!
Alan

[diggity]

Don't know the answer I'm afraid, but I'll be interested to see if someone does, because I'm in the same situation.  Mine swarmed several weeks ago and I'm still waiting (and waiting) to see if they'll produce a new queen.  Meantime, I've been feeding them, and they pretty much attack the feeder and empty it within a few hours.  They are also aggressive after feeding (as if to say "This is ours - stay away!" without realizing I'm the one who put it there!).

This is in stark contrast to the swarmed (new) colony, which I did manage to catch.  I've been feeding them too, but they are much more calm and civilized about it.

-Diggity

[Kathyp]

to evaluate the amount of feed taken and "normal", you need to know what's going on inside.  a queenless hive will store and store because they do not need brood space. 

when you say you have been waiting weeks for the hive to make a queen, have you been adding eggs?  if not, they have no queen making material.  if they did not produce a queen right after swarming,  are they are not going to without your help.  they make queen cells before they swarm.  the old queen has already quit laying before they swarm.

it's also getting pretty late to get a good queen from your own hive.  drones will be in short supply.  if you know you have no queen either buy one, or combine hives until spring.

[gardeningfireman]

Kathy,
When I noticed that the queen ran off with her young'uns, there were about 12 to 15 queen cells in the hive. That was July 30th. I am hoping that by feeding the remaining hive, they will draw out the upper box for winter stores. We still have a good two months of good weather ahead of us, and the goldenrod is just beginning to bloom, and the asters haven't started yet either.
Alan

[gardeningfireman]

It's working! :-D I checked the hive yesterday and the bees are busy fanning. When I opened the box, I was greeted with a lot of newly drawn foundation. Now, hopefully the queen will be mated and start laying!
Alan

[Michael Bush]

The main thing to keep an eye out for is robbing.  If they are taking it and there is no robbing then things are going well.

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

[gardeningfireman]

Mid August update on this hive; the bottom brood box is doing well with both uncapped and capped brood! With all the syrup I've given them (about 35 lbs of sugar in a 1:1 ratio)they have the upper box mostly drawn out and filled with syrup. Foragers are bringing back pollen. Everyone looks happy as they fan!! I am going to pull a couple full frames out once they are capped, and freeze them for March feeding. :-D