I was wondering if anyone does or has fed extracted sugar syrup back to the bees?
The reason I ask...
Is because my two new hives have been fed enough to fill most of the foundation in the second deep and the queen has also moved up as there is some capped brood in the bottom of some of the upper frames. I added a third deep to each hoping they will draw those out (if I keep feeding) so I will have empty comb next spring in hopes of some splits as well as some emergency winter food. But of course, before I can have empty comb for the splits to quickly grow into I will need them to be extracted.
It seems like a waste to extract and discard the syrup if it can be reused. But then again, could this whole process of trying to pre draw the foundations be a waste?
If not a waste, I am slightly worried about back filling the first deep. They haven't back filled yet as the queen is a laying beast:lookout:. As a precaution, I added an excluder between the third deep and the second. Since I am top feeding I thought maybe they would feed and the excluder would discourage them from going back to the second or especially the first and they would be more apt to store in the third.
Good thoughts, bad thoughts?
Thanks in advance, John
The reason I ask...
Is because my two new hives have been fed enough to fill most of the foundation in the second deep and the queen has also moved up as there is some capped brood in the bottom of some of the upper frames. I added a third deep to each hoping they will draw those out (if I keep feeding) so I will have empty comb next spring in hopes of some splits as well as some emergency winter food. But of course, before I can have empty comb for the splits to quickly grow into I will need them to be extracted.
It seems like a waste to extract and discard the syrup if it can be reused. But then again, could this whole process of trying to pre draw the foundations be a waste?
If not a waste, I am slightly worried about back filling the first deep. They haven't back filled yet as the queen is a laying beast:lookout:. As a precaution, I added an excluder between the third deep and the second. Since I am top feeding I thought maybe they would feed and the excluder would discourage them from going back to the second or especially the first and they would be more apt to store in the third.
Good thoughts, bad thoughts?
Thanks in advance, John