To feed or not to feed?

[HeatherM]

Our hive has at least one full frame of honey but I'm not sure if that's enough to get them through until they're able to forage (May?).  It has been a very mild winter here so I am concerned that the bees will have eaten most of their stores already. The bees look healthy (no signs of mites or torn wings) and numerous, near the top of the two boxes and spread out over multiple frames. 

We're new at this and don't know if we should give them a few extra frames of honey left over from last fall (that we couldn't harvest from due to Apistan treatment).  I also am concerned that repeated inspections of the hive will harm them. 

If we should add in the extra frames of honey, what is the best way to deal with the bees in cold temperatures?  It is still freezing at night and barely gets above freezing during the day.  I am concerned that if we pull out the frames they're on (to swap them with the full ones), it will be too cold for the bees.  I am also concerned about breaking up the cluster near the queen.

Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks!

[FRAMEshift]

Clean frames of honey would certainly be the best choice.  If you consider the apistan treated honey to be clean, then use that.  Otherwise, I would use dry sugar placed above the brood nest on newspaper sitting on the top bars.  You can use an Imrie shim, or a standard box sized for the amount of sugar you want to use.  Place this empty shim/box over the brood nest, lay the newspaper on the top bars and pour on the sugar.  If you spritz the sugar with water it will clump the sugar and make it more attractive as food to the bees.  This "Mountain Camp" method is widely used as emergency feed in cold weather.

[Finski]

We're new at this and don't know if we should give them a few extra frames of honey left over from last fall (that we couldn't harvest from due to Apistan treatment).  I also am concerned that repeated inspections of the hive will harm them.  

You may add a box under the brood box and put there those capped honey frames. - If the colony fills the whole box.

If it fills only part of box, take the empty combs off and replace with capped honey.

Dont open the brood area untill day temps are over 15C.

I have not much brood in my hives and I add capped honey frames over the bees. There a still 3 months Spring here and they have to have food on site.

When better weathers come, I look the things better.

You should get empty those crystallized honey frames before main yield.

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[BlueBee]

I'm across the lake in Michigan and I don't see ANY days warm enough to be pulling frames of bees on the weather forcast!  I would not swap frames out of the hive and break up the cluster in these temps.  We've got snow and barely over 0C here.  I would wait for a spring break before swapping in those old honey frames.  I think the safest thing to do now is what Frameshift says.  It may not be the perfect solution, but in my climate the bees do consume dry sugar in the winter.  My hives are moist enough inside that the bees can use the dry sugar for energy.

[Finski]

 I think the safest thing to do now is what Frameshift says.

Safest thing is to give capped frames to bees under cluster box. Keep the combs first in warm room over 24 hours. Then extra box and frames there.

[T Beek]

IMO placing anything 'below' in winter, which can only expose bees cluster unnecessarily to the elements, would be counterproductive this time of year in Ontario, Canada. 

OP stated bees are already at top.  Placement of feed above would be closest to where the bees are.

I also think replacing frames when temps are still at the freezing mark is spelling bad news for bees.

Feeding during winter should be with as little intrusion as possible.  You do NOT want to disturb the broodnest, especially during midwinter.

Feeding during winter can be as simple as placing dry sugar on top of the inner cover around the hole (inside another empty super) or right on top of frames as explained.  If you have the honey and its good honey, just place the frame (s) inside the box above the inner cover as above, the bees will find it and/or the sugar/candy etc...

This is especially true if bees are already at the top (means they're looking for food up there already  ;).

t

[Finski]

Feeding during winter can be as simple as placing dry sugar on top of the inner cover around the hole t

WOW, and the beekeeper has capped honey frames....

During Spring I move capped food frames from hives which have them more. I have never offered to bees dry sugar.

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[Vance G]

Do not disturb the cluster.  If you have enough of those frames of  honey Finski's recipe is good.  Placing a newspaper over the cluster and dampening it with a spray bottle and putting ten pounds of sugar in a feeder rim will work fine too.  The honey is better if you follow finskis directions.  The dry sugar is a quicker in and out especially if the hive is wrapped and you don't have styrofoam boxes like finski

[danno]

I would put your full frames in another box and on the next sunny day pop the top and add the new box right over the cluster and seal it back up.

[Finski]

I would put your full frames in another box and on the next sunny day pop the top and add the new box right over the cluster and seal it back up.

If you put the capped frames over the cluster, 4 langstroth frames has 15-20 pound food. It is half winter food. The rest frames can be empty.  

One big problem is how to get empty existing food frames before next season. No idea to feed new sugar if you have old food stores.

Last autumn I did not feed sugar at all . I gove old capped crystallized honey as winter food.
Even capped, it will be a riot in the hive. Bees start to arrange the food and move it and clean combs.
It takes a week them to calm down. I saved 600 kg sugar and get empty combs  400 units.  



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