Will this Work?

[Titus]

I had two first year hives.  I checked a few weeks ago and only one had any honey built up in the super (1/4 full), both hives had no brood or honey stored up besides the one honey super on the first hive.   I filled their feeders with syrup and after a week, noticed that one hive was not taking any syrup (hive with honey super).  The brood boxes (all medium) are drawn, dark and empty.  I was told that the hive not taking syrup was probably queenless.  I combined the hives yesterday and noticed the "queenless"hive had a few very scattered brood cells, laying working I assume.  I gave the hive that was taking the syrup all the bees and the honey super.  There are still 3 empty medium boxes under the honey super.  I will continue to feed the remaining hive, but do they stand a chance, any suggestions.  Is there supposed to be brood in the frames during the winter?

Thanks

[Bee-Bop]

I hate to say it but this time of year in Kentucky, its late, that makes it is kinda iffy !
If you are feeding sugar water, may as well remove it, bees will not/can not eat it when the syrup temp gets below about 55 degrees.

Good Luck

A former Kentuk,  Lone Oak, during the Big One !

Bee-Bop

[Kathyp]

they may have been queenless, but at this time of the year no brood just might mean that the  queen has quit laying for the winter.

if the brood was capped and not drone brood, it is not a sign of laying workers.  sometimes there is scattered brood that does not hatch out, or is just very late.  unless the bees have cleaned out dead brood, you'll find scattered capped brood lots of times.

put some dry sugar on the hive.  if you are having dry weather, give the sugar a spritz or two of water.  cross your fingers and call it good.

get those empty supers off.  that's to much room for the bees to keep warm in winter.  get the honey frames either into the box with the bees, or right above them.  if they seem crowded, that's good.  that's what you want in winter.

[Titus]

Thank you all for the advise.  You mean powdered sugar, not granular sugar right?  And just put it on top of the frames?    Is there any truth in what I heard about the hive not taking up the syrup because its queenless?   I guess I'll have to wait for a warm day (if we get another one) to open things up and remove empty boxes/add sugar.   
Thanks for the help

Titus

[Kathyp]

noooo

granulated sugar.  powdered sugar will just turn to slop if it gets damp. 

for you, the best way to do it might be to put newspaper over the frames and dump a bag of sugar onto the newspaper.  you can put an empty shallow over that and then the top.  the newspaper will hold the sugar and help insulate.  leave room around the edges for access and use several sheets of paper. 

if you do a search on here, you will find info on dry sugar feeding, including links to sites with even more info :-).