Feeding Guidelines

> So, is it possible to "over-feed" the hive?

Yes. A package will often swarm when they backfill the brood nest from constant feeding.

> Does it cause problems when I accidently allow the feeder to run dry for a day or two?

No. I would remove it completely.

>And, finally, how long should we continue to feed?

I would stop about a month ago...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm

As far as feeding goes, there is no need on a big flow like we are in right now. If the bees are busy, there is honey in the hive, and they are actively drawing comb, don't feed. I have fed for a month or so, because it's often rather cold here in April, this year in particular, but my package didn't show much interest in the syrup and were storing actual honey, so I quit a few weeks ago. Booming hive now, just put on another box six weeks after hiving them.

My brother put his on the stores from a dead-out, and they never got fed anything but the syrup in the can in the package. No need, they had a hive full of stores and made bees like crazy. The russian hive has almost a full super of honey to boot, along with two deeps of bees, comb and stores.

Keep an eye on them though -- if you have a summer dearth like we do, a new package can consume all it's stores raising brood, a bad habit often seen in southern raised queens for some reason. You will lose the hive in the winter if you don't feed it up to weight in the early fall, and may need to feed during August to keep the hive healthy. Lots cheaper to feed them up if necessary than replace them, to say nothing of the honey crop you should get from a strong hive in the spring.

Peter