honey flow and feeding question

[terri lynn]

This is my first honey flow so I need some experienced advice. I took the feeders off after moving my bees to an area with lots of forage. Then regretted not giving at least 1 more round. I looked at some of the hives yesterday and didn't see much if any honey in the hives. I would just go put on a feeder, but I already put the honey super on a couple because the bees were crowded, and I read not to feed with the supers on.

Just read last night in Hive Management, that when they are drawing out comb, the nectar is flowing. They were definitely drawing it out and had fresh wax in a couple of them, though I admit this wasn't my focus as I didn't know that at the time, so except the cases where it was very obvious, I'm not sure how much. They all had a very sweet honey smell, much different than last fall and winter. I got them after the previous owner had harvested last July, and he (as I now know) didn't really leave them enough honey, so I've been feeding them, even when they had some honey left.

So my main question is: if they are making wax, do they have enough to eat? Can they eat nectar straight, or do they have to go through the process of making it into honey first? I can't find that type of info anywhere. I can go put feeders on again until I notice stored honey, but I don't want to screw up (again). :scratch:

Thank you!!!

[Joseph Clemens]

Yes bees can and do eat nectar, they generally prefer nectar over honey as a food source. They usually eat honey for subsistence and nectar, when it's available is their day-to-day food, they use it, with pollen, to grow on. If they are building comb, they certainly have a source, nectar/honey/sugar syrup, they are using to do so.

[Carl F]

I don't know much about the flow in your area but I would imagine you should just let 'em rip with nectar gathering and honey making. Areas much further north are starting or on the verge of the main flow. If you resume feeding you will end up with suger syrup in your supers.

[terri lynn]

Great! That's a relief. Thanks so much for the info...I couldn't think of where else to look that I hadn't already. Everything talks about the process of turning nectar to honey, but I hadn't found anything about them actually eating!

I appreciate the quick response - really helped me get my week sorted out!

[tecumseh]

terri lynn writes:
I took the feeders off after moving my bees to an area with lots of forage. Then regretted not giving at least 1 more round. I looked at some of the hives yesterday and didn't see much if any honey in the hives.

and then..

I can go put feeders on again until I notice stored honey, but I don't want to screw up (again).

tecumseh:
no amount of experience or reading will determine the proper time for removing feeders. there is just too much variation in the spring weather pattern as far as I can tell. with feeding you are always walking the knifes edge anyway... either not feeding long enough or feeding too long (thereby encouraging swarming).

this year (at least here) has been especially severe in that one day the girls appear to be gettin' fat, followed by two days of rain after which time given the brood and bees in the box a hive may appear near starvation. here I have even done a bit of pot feeding (ie an open pan or barrel with litter tossed in and syrup poured into the container) at the end of the rainy spells. generally I don't much like pot feeding since it 1) encourages robbing and 2) generally goes into the hives that need the stores the least.

[terri lynn]

Thanks, tecumseh. I'm not crazy about feeding. This will be my first time extracting, and I would rather just leave them plenty of honey. I have them in locations now where there is rosemary, winter honeysuckle and a few other bloomers for those hot winter days. I looked at the larger hives in a similar location, and already had supers full of just honey! (In addition to ones with honey/brood mix). These hives were much bigger, so maybe that's why they got a surplus sooner.

[tecumseh]

terri writes:
and already had supers full of just honey! (In addition to ones with honey/brood mix). These hives were much bigger, so maybe that's why they got a surplus sooner.

tecumseh:
it would appear your hives are in much the same condition as mine. those with a robust field force are fat and those that had little field force population did not accumulate any surplus (and from time to time appear near starvation). one you stuggle to keep super on and the other you struggle to keep alive.

I really don't mind feeding bees myself. perhaps it is just moi, but I can't figure out how to make a split or collect a honey crop from a dead hive of bees and given the replacement cost of a hive of bees the failure to spend a few cents on sugar sounds a bit penny wise and pound foolish.

good luck...

[terri lynn]

Oh, absolutely, I'm not about to let them starve. I would just prefer to leave them honey than try to feed real often. But 4 of my hives are 45 minutes from my house. Plus I always worry about robbing because I was having them try it a lot this past fall and winter on warm days. One of the main reasons I moved them to a location with plenty blooming year round. I put the weaker hives in one location and the stronger ones in another to try to help with that as well. Are all of yours in the same location?

I thought about splitting 2 of mine that were getting really huge, but it does seem that I have to worry less when they are large so I haven't yet. How big do ya'll let them get before you split them?