View Full Version : Sugar water feeding question
At what temperature can one start feeding 1:1 sugar water solution?
Michael Bush
02-06-2007, 07:44 PM
The syrup has to be pretty much 50 F or more for them to take it. They will take it down quickly, of course, if it's warm enough to fly. Warm syrup gets taken more quickly than cold syrup.
drobbins
02-06-2007, 08:03 PM
Michael
that brings up a good question about emergency feeding
I have a hive that I think are pretty good bees worth saving, but they're kinda lite
I filled a couple of plastic cups with sugar and then wetted them down so they made solid lumps and inverted them over the holes in the inner cover.
The bees haven't shown much interest in them.
Perhaps they still have enough stores, but still it raises the question of, if you have a hive you want to save that's lite, what's the best way to go about feeding them?
I know there will be many opinions on this but it will make good discussion
Dave
flathead
02-06-2007, 08:42 PM
Rob a frame(or two) of honey from a strong hive?
MountainCamp
02-06-2007, 10:04 PM
What are you trying to do?
You can feed them light syrup with temps in the 20's. The warmer the ambient temps the better they use it.
I will start my "spring" feeding of light syrup and pollen substitute in about 2 weeks or so.
The daytimes will still be in the 20's on avergae with nights in the single digits on average.
This gives me about 3 brood cycles before I do splits the middle to end of April.
MountainCamp
02-06-2007, 10:13 PM
Dave, they my be clustered where they don't have easy access to the sugar.
I place granular sugar on paper on the top bars and have found that they will work it all winter as long as they can get at it.
As long as the temperatures are not too brutal, they will move to use it.
Today was in the upper teens and sunny. With black felt paper on the hives, many of the clusters were working the sugar.