Not feeding..at all?

[MJuric]

I just put in 4 new packages with top feeders. I only put a small amount in the feeder last night because it was getting late. Today I was going to add more and give them a pollen patty.

To my surprise, in fact utter amazement out of the four hives I have maybe 4-5 actual bees in feeding.

My packages last year literally drained the feeders. The feeders were so empty I was almost paranoid that maybe there was something wrong with them, didn't smell right, lingering chemicals or something.

I've always heard that they would no longer take feed if there was a flow, which with tons of spring trees, dandelions etc blooming I'm assuming we're in, but do they completely ignore the syrup?

~Matt

[robherc]

I'd keep watching the feeders for a day or two, until your 3-day inspection to check the queen's release status; then I'd do a quick check to see if they have any nectar stores in the combs...if they do, then they're collecting more nectar than they need from the flowers, and simply prefer real nectar to sugar syrup. ... be happy, that just means less $$$ for you to spend on sugar!

[honeyman46408]

I start all my packages with frames of honey from dead outs so I hardly if ever feed my packages but we teach the new keepers to feed as needed and we feed them with an entrance feeder and have no problems with robbing if we are feeding all the packages.

"as needed" year before last I gave all the "class" hives a frame of honey and a frame of drawn comb with an entrance feeder and after a week I had to remove the feeders because the comb was becomeing honey bound and the queen had no place to lay.