Feeding Packages

[JordanM]

I will be getting 6 packages soon. I would like to know how much sugar syrup/feed i should have for each package?

[Tom G. Laury]

Uh it all depends...on conditions, and...foundation or...

Which is all true but I would plan on a minimum of three gallons each.

Mr. Goodwrench used to say: " Oil is cheap " ...they may need more to be a success. Probably they will do great you have about 60 days to honeyflow so help them grow they give it back.;)

[JordanM]

Will they still take this much even if i use entrance feeders? I panned on using the inside frame feeders for 3 packages and entrance feeders for the other three to see which ones did better. The frame feeders are only about 1 gallon so does this mean that i am going to be filling that like every week?

[deermaster]

I would say that you will need to make a gallon per hive at first. It will take them a week or more to take a gallon in the beginning. Once they build up and increase their population they will be able to take a gallon in a couple of days if all goes well. Then they will slow down and eventually stop taking the syrup. Don't make too much as it does not keep well. In my experience its best not to let it sit for too long or it will mold and could cause problems for the bees. My 2 cents hope it helps.

[Tom G. Laury]

Don't let them run out.

[walking bird]

Like Tom said, just keep an eye. I'm using hivetops on six of my new hives and they started by gulping it down like crazy--- I refilled in a couple days, and I'll do it again this weekend I'm guessing. They'll let you know when they're full, or when they've got plenty of nectar coming in, cuz they'll stop taking it.

[JordanM]

Here is a feeder that i through together tonight.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6180/feeder.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feeder.jpg)
Will this work allright for the bees, it goes over the inner cover and you put a super over it and then the cover?

[Tom G. Laury]

That will work just fine.

[Ravenseye]

Yep....that'll work. And the answer regarding how much will they take is....it depends. As said before, don't let them run out. Funny. I hived three packages on Monday. Each got about 2 gallons. One hive has about a gallon and a half left. Another has about a gallon. The third (which I thought might have lost their queen since the queen cage was open when I got the package and I couldn't find her) has gone through all their syrup. No...I don't have a leak.

[JordanM]

Ok, I will proboly try these out and see how they work and maybe try a frame feeder in a few to.

[Ravenseye]

I like trying different feeders. Hive tops are nice because if you're going to leave the colonies alone for a while, you can refill without bothering the bees much. If you're going to open things up, hive tops (that have syrup in them) are a pain. Baggies and jug feeders that sit on the frames or over the hole of an inner cover are quick but sometimes don't hold as much as I'd like. I went away last year for a week and put three paint can feeders on sticks directly on top of frames and they were still empty when I got back. Frame feeders put food right next to the bees. Kind of like just reaching next to your plate for another helping. But again, they take up space and you disturb the bees to get to them. Boardman feeders are neat because I like watching the syrup drop but they can incite robbing and they don't hold much. They're easy to refill though. I also like the rapid feeder which is sort of a cup, pillar, float thing that sits on the inner cover. Works great but have to refill a bit. A lot of the choice depends on the time you have, the distance to your hives and whether you want to suit up or light up the smoker. It's neat to try them all though. I'm currently on a feeder pail kick. I fill them up, swap them out quick and refill the old ones later. I use paint cans and, after all, it's time to paint the house so why not get in the practice of carrying those cans!

[JordanM]

I could modify the feeders i made to hold 4 quart jars ontop of the inner cover. Today i am also going to try to modify the frame feeder so that i can just run i hose through the inner cover into the feeder and then when i need to fill i dont need to take the inner cover off just pour some syrup down a funnel into the feeder. There will need to be a plexiglass window on it though so you can see how full the deeder is. Ill take pictures when im done. I am always thinking of new ways and inventions for my beekeeping hobby.

[The Honey Householder]

I've been spraying the syrup right in to the frames for years. If you have new frame this does not work. If you have some drawn combs you can shake in syrup, or brush it in. I got my package back on the 3-20-09 and should be spliting them in a few weeks.
By puting the feed where the bees need it, they build up faster. I only did 600 2# packages this year, because of the good start and I'll be spliting more. I even shake packages off my early packages. I sell the package to local beekeeper and they get fresh bees, and they save on shipping.


Oh ya my answer to your question is about 2-3 gal.

Always a pleasure talking bees,

Ron

[Cacklewack]

I've started 9 top bar hives and 1 Warre hive two weeks ago and I've got a gallon on each of them. Some have almost finished the gallon and are ready for a re-fill and others have only used half. We've had some decent weather here in Oregon, and there is a great deal of forage available, so I'm guessing they have been hitting flowers rather than feeders. We'll see!

I put a gallon on a large swarm I caught a couple days ago -- I'm interested to see how much they take compared to the 3 lb packages.

Matt

[schmism]

ive put 2 gal on mine already that i installed on 4/4

per my calcs my 25lb costco bag of surgar should last me 3.5 gal. I have to mix up my 3rd gall tomorrow.

[JordanM]

Here is my modified frame feeder. I put a plexiglass window in the inner cover so you can see when the sugar water is getting low and a garden hose tube in the center to fill it back up when it is getting low. Now i do not have to open the hive to check the feeder or fill it up just look in the window and see how much is left.

The first picture shows the feeder through the window and the hose to fill the feeder up.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9025/feeder2.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feeder2.jpg)
The second picture is the inner cover and window where you can see the feeder.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7528/feeder1.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feeder1.jpg)