Won't stop taking syrup

[blammer]

I have been putting a jar of 1:1 sugar water in my hive for 2 months now, and they keep slurping it all down!

I replace a 28 oz jar every other day.

There must not be much around if they keep taking it, right?

I'm afraid if I stop they'll starve!

What would you suggest? Keep feeding? Stop?

They currently live in two medium supers, with a third on top they have not moved into yet...

[bluegrass]

I would pull it slowly and make those bees get a job. Let it run out and wait longer to refill it for a few weeks and then remove it. In your area there should be plenty for them to forage on. I have alot of hives that are real slow this year, but I have others in the same yard that are filling supers like its going out of style. I would also rotate your top box down to make them start using it. Your brood box my be full of syrup and the queen has no room to lay so the colony is strugling along.

[Tobikiri]

Are we sure the jars aren't leaking?
I'm not sure exactly how you're feeding these jars (boardman, inverted over inner cover, etc).

I had boardman feeders on last year and one hive appeared to be sucking down the syrup like there was no tomorrow. Turns out, the feeder was leaking.
Needless to say, I don't use entrance feeders anymore!

If it's not leaking, then I'd just pull them off and make those lazy bees find their own forage. If they are really taking that much syrup, it's got to be stored somewhere. I'd worry they were backfilling the brood nest.

[riverrat]

are they drawing comb if so they will suck down the syrup. if there is a flow on they will leave the syrup alone. I have been feeding 35 nucs that are building comb they was going through a gallon a week of 1:1 syrup with inverted feader jars on top of the top bars they are now down to less than a quart a week since the alfalfa bloomed. once the 2nd deep is drawn I am going to remove feed and they are on there own with a honey super If they are drawing comb I would keep the feeder on to keep them drawing. they will not draw comb unless there is a need I would check the hive to make sure they are not backfilling the brood chamber has tobikiri suggested.

[Michael Bush]

>There must not be much around if they keep taking it, right?

Not at all. They will usually keep taking it regardless. SOMETIMES they will quit when there is a flow, but usually, I have not seen them quit. Usually they fill every available space and then they swarm.

[CLB]

The instructions I got when started two 3# packs of bees was to feed
1:1 syrup for 4 to 8 weeks.
They used 12.5 gals in 8 weeks, (no leaks), drawing comb on plastic foundation, etc. I think they would take never stop on their own, just swarm.
I think that was to much!
Comments please.

[flathead]

<with a third on top they have not moved into yet...>

I would bet the second medium is filled with mostly syrup.

The queen will be reluctant to cross all the "honey" so they may be crowded into one medium.

Swarming is a real possibility.

[Oldbee]

I don't know what your nectar/pollen flow is like in your area but on May 11 this spring I introduced a queen to a 5 frame nuc. I did not feed any syrup; just 1.5 frames of honey. At this time, July 1 the hive is populous enough to be in two deeps; has drawn 4 frames of MC. foundation; some filled with brood: [just a comparison]. After 2 months I would think the 2 mediums would have been filled/replaced with brood and the population expanding at a good pace. "full of syrup and the queen has no room to lay so the colony is struggling along"; bluegrasss--- Sounds right but hard to REALLY tell.

[newbee 101]

"I'm afraid if I stop they'll starve!"
Maybe you should open the hive and check.....

[iddee]

You can guess forever, or you can simply lift the hive. If it feels like 30 to 40 lbs., keep feeding. If it feels like 100 lbs., you can stop feeding.

[Michael Bush]

It's easy enough to see what kind of stores there are by lifting. Bees don't weight much. Comb doesn't weight much. Honey weighs a lot. If they have a lot of stores, they really don't need syrup.

[blammer]

thanks guys!

no syrup not leaking.

I went throug the hive today.3-4 frames filled with "syrup/honey" and capped.

lots of new eggs, saw some bee emerging.(really neat) Queen looked good. Start of honey to be in corners of other frames where brood is rearing.

I'll stop with the sugar water feeding as it looks that they have LOTS.

I want them to raise LOTS of bees and draw comb for the fall.

I don't seem to be doing it right.

so for now I'll stop feeding and let them be.