feeding bees

[oregonsparkie]

Im sure this has been asked over and over but...

How do I know when to stop feeding my bees syrup???
Since I just got started, Im not really sure when the honey flow starts/stops.

[John Russell]

I always drive a mile square around my site.
I look at whats blooming, where it is, and how much. Then I watch the weakest hives traffic. If I see a steady stream of pollen laden field bees, I'm not so worried. As you get to know the local botany better, you know your feed times better. I always went with " When in doubt, feed. " Nothing bad can happen if your early. I know when to take my feeders off when they loose intrest in it and they always seem to take less and less as the spring blooms increase.


J.R.

[MaryB]

The books tell you to keep feeding until the bees stop taking it. Last year, my first year, I fed them until July 14. I know, because I record everything in my notebook. They were still eating the sugar water on that date but both hive bodies were fully drawn out, there were a lot of bees and it was time to super. So I figured that it was time for some tough love. I stopped feeding and they promptly filled the super. I think they just enjoyed my recipe and would have continued to take sugar water until the cows came home.

[Daisy]

I fed all summer last year. The drought most certainly would have devastated the colonies had I not....

This year we've had an awesome season so far, so I haven't fed...

[oregonsparkie]

Will the bees take syrup instead of foraging for nectar since the syrup is so close?

Or will they ignore the syrup in favor of the nectar?

[Michael Bush]

I don't think you can completly predict bees and feeding. They tend to take at least SOME syrup as long as it's still there, but sometimes get more interested in nectar and sometimes not.