Ok I spilt a bunch of honey. Was going from extractor to pale through a filter. Stupid me didn’t realize the gate was open on the bucket. Anyway. I got most of it up in a aluminum pan. How would you feed it back to them? Don’t want to just put it out there and they all drown.
Feeding Bees Honey
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The same thing happened to me. I lost about a quart before I noticed.
I have not had any luck feeding honey without killing some bees. Once a bee gets pushed in, they are goners.
Having as big an area as possible with as thin a layer of honey as possible, will reduce the fatalities.
I have not had any luck feeding honey without killing some bees. Once a bee gets pushed in, they are goners.
Having as big an area as possible with as thin a layer of honey as possible, will reduce the fatalities.
The straw is a good plan. Bees can drown in just a thin layer as their body becomes covered. If there are enough bees they will eventually clean themselves off so even the ones that fall in can be pulled out, and for the most part be saved. I had thousands on my deck a few weeks ago while trying to clean up a crosscombed deep. I kept pulling bees out of the honey, many were already dead, but the vast majority actually survived and were gone by evening.
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I have used a cookie sheet covered with a piece of 1/8” hardware cloth and a concrete brick (or a piece of one until I get the right weight). Basically just weigh the hardware cloth down just enough to get it right above the honey. I’ve also gotten lazy and just poured it on the ground. Whatever you do do it away from your hives so as not to encourage robbing.
Ryan
Ryan
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Use an overhead inverted jar feeder - treat the honey exactly the same as if it was sugar syrup. Dilute it a little if necessary. Suggest feeding small amounts and last thing at night, so that the feeder is empty by morning - that way robbing is avoided.
LJ
LJ
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