How much brood is to much brood?

[RiodeLobo]

Hello,
Id was doing my final fall inspection and found more brood than I thought they should have. In 5 hives (8 and 10 frame double deeps) there was an average of 5-6 frames with 40-50% brood. Is that normal for the mountain west USDA zone 5? This is my first winter in this area. They are a little light, and I have been feeding 2:1 since the begining of sept.

Any advice is apprecated.

Thanks Dan Hayden

[sqkcrk]

Whatever the bees can cover is the right amount. Unless you have severely small populations of adult bees in your hives, what brood you have is not too much.

Your bees do know what they are doing. Trust them.

"Bees make better beekeepers than beekeepers make bees." Michael Palmer

[RiodeLobo]

Thank you, there are a ton of bees, I was actually concerned there may be to many, and they may starve before the willow and dandilion flows come up in the spring.

I guess i just needed the reassuarnce you provided.
Dan

[sqkcrk]

How much honey is there for them to eat through the winter? I believe that Mike Palmer, whose hives are in NE NY and NW VT, shoots for 135lbs total hive weight. That's two deeps and a medium, I think.

[RiodeLobo]

Most are in the 90+ range (total hive weight), but are still taking 2:1. I am thinking I will have to feed candy this winter.

This is the first winter on all these hives, 4 were fresh starts and 1 was a split at the end of may . By the end of may here the early flow is pretty much over and build up was slower than I thought. Looking back I should have fed more in the spring and started the fall feeding in aug.