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2:1 sugar

5K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  kilocharlie 
#1 ·
How long will a 2 gallon bucket of 2:1 last on an average hive?
 
#2 ·
That depends on quite a few different things.

Right now, it will last until it molds or the temperature of the syrup goes above 50F for a few hours, since the bees won't take when it's colder than that.

On my small swarm hive this September, probably an afternoon at most, they sucked down 9 gallons in a week storing syrup for winter.

Peter
 
#8 ·
I'm not trying to be a smart Alec, Myron.
I apologize if I've offended you.

I'm truly trying to be helpful:
The less specific your question is the more difficult it is to answer helpfully.
Any very specific answer to a general question about an "average" hive may be comforting but will seldom be accurate.
Consider the variability above; one guys says, "hours" another says, possibly 6 months.

That's what I mean by reference to an average piece of string and "it depends".
And the warning that anything other thaera genreal answer will not likely be accurate.

Not trying to be a wise guy or poke fun at all.
 
#10 ·
Wow, it must be tough walking around every day with that enormous chip on you shoulder. Those were helpful, if witty, responses to a vague question. I have found this site to be very helpful. If you are willing to take it down a notch there is a wealth of information and opinions at your finger tips.
Have a good day and good luck in your endeavors.
 
#11 ·
> May be in a few years i will know it all and i can give smarta$$ answers.

There are plenty of examples on Beesource of people who don't know it all and still offer "
smarta$$ answers". Sometimes that includes me .... :lookout:

The best way to ask questions on Beesource is to provide enough details to give a background to your question, without writing so much that the reader's eyes glaze over. Then you have to sort thru the anwers you get, and toss out the ones that don't apply to your situation. Then decide if those remaining are credible. Not always easy to do.

You can learn a lot more, in my opinion, by reading posts that are not specifically about your current situation, but may apply to you in the future.
:D


 
#12 ·
They all mean well Myron... sometimes our sense of humors do not match....!...


Generaly a strong hive in the warm season will take about a gallon a week thats the amount most commercial guys figure. With brood and nectar flows changing that from a gallon in a cpl days to lasting 3-4 weeks. a lot of that will depend on how easy access they have to it.
 
#13 ·
I am sorry if you got the impression you were being made fun of. I don't think any of us said anything with malice. We are just trying to point out the things that make the answer variable and cover the breadth of that variability. Please do not take it personally. It was not intended that way at all.
 
#15 ·
Myron, I am still new at beekeeping just like you. I'm still in the learning phase too. If the answer I got here not match my situation I will dismiss it. Use the ones that fit my current situation and learn from them. Then I will go do my own experiment. Surely, at time my experiment did not work out. But I will change it according to my hive situation. Whatever it is to make things work for my bees.
To address your question it really depends on how active your bees are. If you feed them outside then it depends on the temperature and weather as well. If the weather is bad then they will not feed. So it might take 2 months or more until they finish the syrup. If the weather is warm and your bees are active without any source of nectar then they will take it up in two or three weeks. Some question I would ask is how many frames of bees do you currently have in your hive? And do you feed them inside or outside the hive? For example, now I have at least 3 frames all packed with bees. Some are young bees just hatched so those cannot fly outside to feed yet. Since I put syrup for outside feed as well on a good warm sunny day there are about 300 bees feeding come and go. In 2 weeks all my syrup are gone that they deposit inside the honey combs. So in your situation I would guess 3 weeks or so....it really depends on the outside environment and how hungry are your bees right now. Again, if my example not match your situation go ahead to do some experiment since everybody's bee environment is different from year to year. Over time we will learn and be more proficient at beekeeping. Use our own best judgement to do things that fit us most. Don't be afraid to try, keep track and give feedback.
In good or bad situation there is a lesson to be learn.
 
#16 ·
Also, beware that they might want the syrup but not be able to get any because 2:1 is bad for crystallizing over the screen and blocking the syrup. I had a lot of trouble in the fall with it crystallizing, and in the end I had to feed 1:1. I would try a hive top feeder for 2:1, it probably wouldn't be so troublesome. But if the hive is strong enough they can take it fast enough for it not to crystallize it seems.


Nathan
 
#17 ·
"add a tablespoon of Honey-B-Healthy per gallon of syrup."

Another thread I post said put something healthy for the bees too not just
the syrup alone. Then watch them grow. I will be getting some of that too to
mix in with the syrup. There is so much to learn here. :)
 
#19 ·
Just a thought to add - It is still February, and it can still freeze up. A lot of beeks use a fondant board on top of the frames (a deep inner cover with candy on it) and pollen (or pollen substitute) patties instead of liquid feed when freezing is still a possibility. Again, how long will it last? Answer: keep an eye on it. It could save a colony from starvation, so I offer it as food for thought.
 
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