feeding bees in preparation for winter

[dtwilliamson]

If it is determined that the bees need to be fed to give them adequate stores for winter when do you start feeding them? Is it too early now? I don't know when the fall flow begins or ends here to know when I need to begin feeding them if they need it.....

Any thoughts.

Dan

[Michael Bush]

I feed anytime I think they are low on stores and there is a dearth. I will probably start tonight, because that seems to be the situation right now.

Just pull any supers you intend to harvest first.

[Daisy]

Me too.

I have to go shopping for sugar today.

I wonder how old abandoned hives make it so well year after year with no apparent intervention?

[Michael Bush]

>I have to go shopping for sugar today.

The cheapest seems to be when some store has a special, but they often have limits on them. Somtimes they don't and I buy a cart full.

If there are no specials I go to Sam's club and buy 25 pound bags.

>I wonder how old abandoned hives make it so well year after year with no apparent intervention?

Lots of cocoons in the brood cells and good stock.

If you mean feeding, they have stores left from three years ago. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif It's why bees hoard honey. To get through the hard times.

[dtwilliamson]

Thanks,

I have a hive that I started from a nuc on July 16th. It is now a small hive with 8.5 frames (deeps) full of bees and brood with a small amount of honey along the tops of the frames. I imagine that I'm going to have to feed this hive to get it thru winter. It has a Carniolan queen. Half the bees are still the Italians I started the nuc with.

I was intending on combining this hive with one of my bigger hives before winter but it seems to be getting bigger faster than I expected. Is it early enough in the year to feed it enough to make it through the winter. I'd love to be able to get this hive strong enough and with enough stores to make it.

Dan

[Branman]

you have a second deep on there?

If not, I'd put another deep on there and just keep feeding and feeding...

[Michael Bush]

I'd keep feeding and see what happens.

[dtwilliamson]

They got to that size with no feeding. I haven't fed them yet... They've been doing it all on their lonesome. That is why I was trying to figure out when I should start feeding. I am adding a med brood chamber on them tomorrow... I guess you are suggesting that I feed them then... it will be foundation not drawn comb...

Dan