If 2:1 is Good, why not 3:1 or 4:1?

[BruinnieBear]

I need to build up a hives stores FAST!, or I know they won't have reserve to make the winter.  I'm already feeding 2:1.  I know there's a practical limit to the syrup ratio for top feeders, but I'm using baggies.

If you can feed straight baker's sugar during the winter, why not a higher ratio now for quicker drying time in a place more accessible to the winter cluster?  ... or ...  Is the 2:1 ratio just an economically accepted limit?

BB

[iddee]

1:1 will dissolve at room temp.

2:1 must be heated to near boiling point to dissolve.

How much can you dissolve and it not turn into rock candy?

[johnnybigfish]

Im not an expert my any means at math.....But.....When I make my syrup, I just pour a mess of sugar into a bucket till its half full then add hot water up to about 2 or 3 inches from the rim...I slosh some vanilla in it, take my wooden stir spoon, put some syrup in my mouth and if its syrupy, I pour it into feeder jars.I do this way regardless of seasons, but I bet somebody in here will explain the reasons and differences of why to have different ratios...I also never get rock candy.Sometimes I have a little sugar in the dried jar tho. Right now, thyere eating a quart a day...They had tons of honey for awhile but I guess they ate it when the dearth came....I'm feeding now so I can harvest next month so me and the bees can get honey!
your friend,
john

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

I may be wrong 1:1 is 1 part water 1 part sugar
2:1 two parts water one part sugar not the other way around if I am wrong please correct me.

[Bee-Bop]

Generally the 1st # is sugar, the second is water ;

Such as 1-1 means, 1 part sugar 1 part water
   "     "  2-1   "        2  "      "     1    "     "

The ingredients don't change positions when you change formulas

Bee-Bop

[iddee]

>>>>if I am wrong please correct me.<<<<

You are wrong. Bee-Bop corrected you.

[bee-nuts]

How long does it take a average hive to fill a deep with capped honey if feed 2:1 sugar water? 

When do you decide that you have to feed for winter stores?  If you still have flow, how long do you put it off?

All Im worried about is three nucs I have.  They all have a good flow.  Maybe 20,000 bees or better in each and lots of brood and bees hatching (I'm really not sure as to the number).  I just put there second deep supers on.  Cant I wait to October to feed or will there be to much condensation?  It seems everyone is already feeding now.

Also, is there a good way to calculate approximate number of bees in a hive?  By frame, box ect.

[G3farms]

how long it takes them to cap the honey, to me this would be dependant on several things

temperature......
relative humidity.........
number of bees in the hive.......

I know nothing of the answers though!

G3

[Bee-Bop]

You say you have 3 Nucs, with 20,000 bees each !

A Nuc is commonly referred to as 2-5 frames of bees, normally used to start a new hive.

Seem I read, about 3000 + bees to a lb.

A commercial keeper told me that when you pull the top cover off and don't see any frame tops, just bees your talking a 60,000 hive.

I've been wrong before.
Bee-Bop

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

hey thanks for the correction bee-bop.

[bee-nuts]

Unless I have read wrong nuc is short for New colony.  

I know the standard nuc is two to five frames, so my bad.  I have three new colonies.  They all are at about the same stage with a deep box full of bees brood and there stores.  I added a new deep with foundation to all.  One a month or longer ago, one maybe three weeks ago, and another a week and a half ago.  They all have a good flow on.  I would like to steal as much capped honey as I can before I feed.  I want to see the difference in the honey from the three different spots they are in too.  But most importantly I don't want to drop the ball.

So that said, do I need to freak out and feed, or can I let them put up some of there own for awhile.  Took my bees no time to fill supers in June/July and swarm on me!

average temps in my area

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/54701?from=tenDay_bottomnav_undeclared

My guess is mid september is the latest I can wait.  Or should it be ealier?

[Michael Bush]

It is difficult enough to dissolve 2:1.  I boil the water, add the sugar and continue to heat until it's dissolved.  3:1 would take a lot of heat and I have my doubts you would ever succeed in getting it to dissolve.

[BenC]

How long does it take a average hive to fill a deep with capped honey if feed 2:1 sugar water? 

Haha!  Nice trick question.   :-D

[sc-bee]

>Unless I have read wrong nuc is short for New colony.

I guess it's being nit-pickey but I believe it stands for nucleus :-D. and I believe I am off the subject ;)

[BruinnieBear]

How long does it take a average hive to fill a deep with capped honey if feed 2:1 sugar water? 

Haha!  Nice trick question.   :-D

It's actually Algebra II.  Equations in three variables.

[deknow]

Right now, thyere eating a quart a day...They had tons of honey for awhile but I guess they ate it when the dearth came....I'm feeding now so I can harvest next month so me and the bees can get honey!

you can feed a quart a day of sugar water, but harvest "honey" next month?

deknow

[BruinnieBear]

[

you can feed a quart a day of sugar water, but harvest "honey" next month?

deknow

Indeed!  How would you label that for sale?  Produced locally, from wild C&H?

[BruinnieBear]

I also posed this question on a different thread before it was hijacked here.  For those interested in the reponse:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233079

I've made the fondant (sans Cream of Tartar), and am experimenting with feeding it place of and with 2:1 syrup.  I'm monitoring the rate of backfilling, and will report back my observations.

BB

[deknow]

...to anyone who thinks that this will result in "honey", i'd suggest putting blue food coloring in your sugar feed.

if you thnk your honey would be free of sugar, this would likely prove otherwise.

deknow