no honey?!?!

[Heritage]

Well, thanks for all the help so far, but I still don't seem to be putting up any honey. They are eating the syrup just fine, it just doesn't look like they are storing it. It is taking them about 2-3 days to finish off a half gallon of 2:1 syrup. Is there something else I can do, or just continue doing this?

Another question...I had the wife make the last batch of syrup and after I fed it, it crystalized again. My feeder now has a nice pretty batch of rock candy in it. Will they eat this? If so, is it good for them (will they store honey with it)? Should I clean out the feeder and start again? Thanks again for all the help.

[Michael Bush]

>My feeder now has a nice pretty batch of rock candy in it. Will they eat this?

Eventually.

>If so, is it good for them

It's fine.

>(will they store honey with it)?

Not at the rate they will syrup.

>Should I clean out the feeder and start again?

Why not pour a little boiling water in to disolve the crystals?

[Heritage]

OK, I've been feeding them 2:1 syrup and they seem to be doing well. I've seen a lot more honey in the combs and they have started capping it now. So, I'll continue this and see how it goes. I have another question too....

My bees have now found our hummingbird feeders. I guess the syrup in them is 1:4 (1/4 cup sugar per cup of water) They are massing around them and draining them very quickly. The hummingbirds cannot get to them at all. Why are they doing this when they have 2:1 syrup right in their hives?

[Joel]

Because the number of foragers that can drink from the feeder at any given time is only a small portion of the thousands you have in the hive. In effect what you are doing with the hummingbird feeder is open feeding. If you used a 5 gallon bucket or barrell with either floats or screen to feed the bees you would see 10s of thousands of bees feeding if you have a few hives plus all the neigbor bees that would come. It's a matter of access.

[Heritage]

I understand that, but it is sort of aggravating since the hummingbirds are now driven off. Is there a way to prevent them from feeding from the hummingbird feeders, or do I have to choose between bees or birds?

[Joel]

Depending on where you live they will be gone soon anyway due to migration. Ours left about a week ago. Miss the little buggers!

[Michael Bush]

>do I have to choose between bees or birds?

If you rig some #7 hardware cloth so that it blocks the bees abnd it's far enough away the bees tongues won't reach the hummingbirds will still be able to reach through.