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When to stop feeding

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Regina Campbell 
#1 ·
Okay here is the question, when should we quit feeding the bees? I know this deals with temperature but is there an average when you just say enough with the feeding. I was just wondering and hoped someone could give me some advice on this as I am new and still lots of learning to do. Thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
Stop feeding when you have reached the weight you want for the hive or the storage available is full (if, for instance, you have undrawn frames in a box -- the bees cannot use them if it's too cold or late in the season for them to draw the foundation out).

They won't take syrup if it's below about 50 degrees, so once it gets that cold there is no point in feeding -- they will be clustering anyway.

You should not feed 1:1 syrup once the nights start to get cold, the water in it will cause excessive humidity in the hive. If they have drawn comb, 2:1 is much better since it takes less water removal and other processing by the bees before they can cap it.

If you are not satisfied with the amount of stores they have and they won't take any more syrup, you should put on a candy board for the winter with some top ventilation. Makes a big difference in survival.

As far as the date goes, here it's best to have them up to weight and in winter configuration by the middle of october, our average date of first frost. Depending on your altitude, you may have a couple more weeks to feed, or a couple less, the average date of first frost in your area will determine that. If the weather stays warm later, you can still feed some, but it's best to assume first frost is time to winterize.

Peter
 
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