Feeding a package, how often, how much?

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Well, the hive is built. The bevelled top bars are made - 1.25 inch and 1.5 inch as per Mr. Bush. I built a follower board with a mason jar slot in it, and have a Boardman feeder to go behind it inside the hive. I also bought some bee-pro pollen substitute. I want to put a pattie and the mason feeder in the hive when the package arrives. How big a pattie should I make? How long will a 22oz mason jar of syrup and a pattie last before being consumed? Background info: Here in Western Wisconsin the average temps at the moment are in the 30's to 40's. Next week, when the package is due, it may reach 50. The maple sap is flowing, but I see no Maples blooming yet. I intend to put the pattie on the hive bottom. My question is raised because I want to wait at least a week before opening the hive to inspect it and I don't want them to starve in the meantime. I realize an observation window, or an external feeder would make my question irrelevant, but I'll be honest; I've stretched my woodworking horizons to get this far and don't want to make any holes in the hive body itself. Thanks, as always, Adrian

[MIKI]

They should be fed until they ignore the feed.

[Michael Bush]

I'd just feed until they have some stores and theres a flow.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm

[Cold Bees]

Actually,

I need to figure out how to control feeding and when to stop feeding. Here's what happened to me:

I hives my first package last year, and around here you expect to start to feed from some time late in March when there are a few warm days till you see evidence of flows. A beekeep from Finland warned me on one of the boards that Italians will continue to feed from feeders even while they are bringing in pollen/nectar from other sources, and will swarm.

Given the extra cold year and snow drifts last year, I finally stopped feeding in June. Then I had a bear disaster, and had to feed to recover, and I lost all the comb they had built. In July we always get a dearth between flows, so I fed then, and they finally dropped offof syrup in August. But because I needed them to build comb, I started feeding in September, when I added the 2nd deep. I fed all the way to late October. They made it through, but I got trained to be a feedaholic!

When I see very large amounts of pollen coming into the hive, can I assume nectar is flowing with it?

If I see enough stores, can I cut out the feeding before the first flows, so as not to encourage swarming?