[Breakfast with the Bees]

Hived 3lb package of bees April 16. Been feeding with mason jar inverted over inner cover. They didn't take much at first--it was a week or more before I had to refill. (Not even a quart of syrup.) I'm expecting my first-emerged brood to graduate to foraging this weekend. I figured I'd feed until then, or until they stopped taking.

Well, they're taking even more. I put a new jar in Friday, then another one Monday. This morning (Wednesday) it was bone dry. I'm not concerned, just wondering: is this because the foraging force is at its lowest ebb? Should I expect the feeding to taper off after this weekend?

(I think I happened to catch their orientation flights Monday afternoon--very cool.)

 

[Michael Bush]

I feed until they have capped stores. That means the bees think thay have enough to put some in storage instead of leaving it available for current needs. That way if it rains they don't get caught with no stores. Meanwhile, they may stop taking it when there is nectar or they may just plug the brood nest with syrup and swarm. I have seen both happen too many times to make assumptions about what bees will do.