Blooming Photinia

[LizzieBee]

I have about fifteen Photinia bushes of various sizes that are about to bloom. I just got my honeybees today and I am feeding them syrup. Will they stop/decrease their amount of syrup consumption and go for the Photinia flowers? Do they even bother going to flowers when they have syrup? Hope that wasn?t a silly question...

Thanks,
-LizzieBee

[moebees]

They will do both.  They might slow down on the syrup if you have a heavy flow going but if they are packages on foundation or foundation less they will still consume the syrup to draw comb.  I don't know if you are in a flow now or not.

[Acebird]

Do they even bother going to flowers when they have syrup?

Generally in my area they will leave syrup and forage on flowers.  I suppose it matters what flowers are available and the location of the hive.  Observe for yourself and get back to us on their preference.

[BeeMaster2]

Lizzie,
Keep in mind that 15 bushes of any one kind of flowers is just a snack. It takes a lot of flowers to feed a hive.
Jim

[LizzieBee]

The bushes are just starting to bloom so it?ll be a few days until they are all blooming. I?ll watch for how much syrup they consume.