[Rob64]

First year beekeeper with 2 hives 6 weeks new. My area is full of blooms and the bees are busy.
Last week I added 2nd deep boxes to both hives, both with 10 frames of foundation. The bees have now gone back to the sugar water at a fever pitch. Should I keep filling it or just let them forage?
Also, both hives have screened bottom boards with removable plastic bottoms. The temps are in the mid 80's days and low 50's nights. Should I remove the plastic bottoms ?
Thanks for any advice.
Rob

 

[labradorfarms]

From everthing I have eaver heard.... If you started with a package of Bees rather than a NUc. They are building comb so they will need all the SS thay can get... I have hives about the same age and. they are still taking SS and lots of it since they have grown....

Of course the drawback to feeding IMHO are drowning bee's.

 

[Colobee]

I'm feeding my new packages as much as they will take - 1 quart a day at first, and now about a pint a day. I feed them more or less daily, "on demand".

I expect them to let me know when it's time - they just quit taking it.

 

[Dave Warren]

I used to feed, then I listened to Mike Palmer, he says NO feeding, well after 3 years I don't feed, and guess what? the results are the same, they draw the same, make honey the same.
Thanks Mike for saving me over a hundreds of dollars a year in sugar and labor!!!
I purchased 3lbs of bees this season, with a queen, threw them in the box, now I'm getting ready to add my third deep because they are so productive, the flow is really good this year
so I just let bees be bees.
Learned from mistakes.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Once they've got the first box drawn on a new hive, I let them feed themselves, too. The exceptions to this both occur when there are no supers on : Any time the hive starts to feel light after having been heavy earlier in the season (because here we get a mid-season dearth). Or when they are getting ready for winter.

JMO

Rusty