Central WI to feed or not

**Alan277** · 07-29-2012, 09:07 PM

I am in central WI and like most areas we are in a drought. My bees, started from nucs this May were doing great, filled out two deeps from foundation. About a month ago I stopped feeding and put on a third deep with foundation. They started slowly to fill out the third deep with comb, and then just stopped. The queen also stopped laying in this time, due to the heat and drought. Today I noticed that they consumed some of their stores from the second deep, perhaps 30 percent. My question now is..should I remove the third deep which I am using as a honey super, and start feeding again? The bees are really working on filling out the foundation with comb. Every frame on the super has got comb and lots of bees working them. With recent rains, wildflowers are blooming and I see pollen coming in..grey pollen. What do you think I should do? I am new to beekeeping and dont know anyone keeping bees in the area, so I am unfamiliar with flows etc. In the area. The bees started so strong I was hoping for a little harvest, with the drought my hopes are greatly diminished.

**Mr.Beeman** · 07-30-2012, 04:52 AM

We still have a good flow on it's way yet. With the recent rains there, the bees should be ok. A honey harvest this year may not be in the cards for you, unless you want to supplimental feed all winter.
It's been a really tough year for the bees. I lost my weak hive (langstroth) alltogether. I still have the super hive (TBH). I'll try again next spring with the Lang.

**chaindrivecharlie** · 07-30-2012, 05:40 AM

I would say wait, the last flow is just beginning. You should see lots of wild flowers blooming now. Including the golden rod, which is what we normally leave for the bees to winter on. unless they fill that box and another up before fall. Leave what they have for winter, and wait till next year to harvest honey. This happen to me in 2006, and my bees survived that winter.

**NorthernIllinoisPlumber** · 07-30-2012, 06:37 AM

Now that is weird...I checked my hives and they still have most of their stores from a month ago...

**woodedareas** · 07-30-2012, 07:11 AM

In my location things have slowed down and with our recent heavy rains there has been some new plant growth but I do not think it is very significant. I can see the bees taking off somewhere but I think the season is about at the end in the next several weeks. I do not believe they are taking anything from the deeps and perhaps this has been the benefit of the rain.

**chaindrivecharlie** · 07-30-2012, 07:22 AM

I live in east central Wisconsin, even with a moderate drought. We have an abundance of honey this year in our hive's! And with the rains, our wild flowers are blooming like mad. We have some hives that even though they were split donors. They have filled 3 and 4 medium supers up. When all is said and done, I expect to average about 100lbs a hive. Thats not bad for a lean year, especially with a moderate drought here.

**Alan277** · 07-30-2012, 02:18 PM

I was planning on wintering in two deeps, is that ok or do I need three deeps? If wintering in two deeps is ok, then my bees need to replenish the roughly 30 percent in honey they consumed during the drought while there was nothing blooming. Once that is replenished either by honey or sugar feeding, any honey stored in the third deep by september october should be ok to collect. Am I correct in assuming this?

**chaindrivecharlie** · 07-30-2012, 08:19 PM

Alan, if they have ate 30% of there stores, let them backfill that. You could add a med. super and wait to see if they fill that up too. But I would not take any from them this winter. It could be a mild winter and they would need it all. And if it is a normal winter, then you could harvest it in spring when the dandelions bloom. That is what I would do anyway, you can always buy some honey.