[tsmullins]

I see no reason to feed during a flow. Once my bees have some capped stores, I stop feeding. For me, feeding causes more problems than it solves.

Shane

 

[lazy shooter]

My feeding experience has mirrored Tsmullins. To me, feeding has caused more problems that it solved. If one is installing packages or making up splits and nuts then feeding may be necessary. My bees are in a drought ridden area, and I have fed them off and on for the past three years. In my opinion, once a healthy colony is fully developed, the only reason to feed is due to a severe dearth. Maybe when one is feeding a healthy colony Mother Nature is telling you that bees are not suited to the environment. Obviously, I hate feeding.

 

[Vance G]

If you are sensible about it, you can feed until your second brood box is as full as your bottom brood box. People who continue using feeding suppliments or buy into constant dosing with honeybeehealthy or other nostrum can indeed harm their colonies by driving them to hoard to the point the queen can't lay. Sugar inverted serves the same exact roll in comb building as the finest honey. It just doesn't matter!~ Bees don't build comb unless they need the space for brood or food. Judicious feeding is not harmful at all. A couple drops of lemongrass oil emulsified into the syrup will make the bees want to store it with doing a lot of damage to gut bacteria. If you just are a little observant, you can spread the feeding out so the queen is not shorted of laying room.

 

[shannonswyatt]

A couple drops of lemongrass oil emulsified into the syrup will make the bees want to store it with doing a lot of damage to gut bacteria.

Did you mean to say without doing a lot of damage? What does the lemongrass oil do to prevent damage?

 

[Vance G]

I meant without doing a lot of damage. The spearmint and wintergreen added to some feeding attractants are great in their place but short term limited use is best. I don't thing a little LGO is very damaging.

 

[Michael Bush]

>I am 99.9% sure i am the only bee hive within a 5 mile radius.

I'd bet there are at least 50 colonies in a 5 mile radius living in the trees or houses or old barn walls...