[kevinva]

I put in a new 3 lbs package. They've built out about 90% of the frames so I'm putting the second hive body on. I always forget, do I keep feeding them or do I now let mother nature take over?

 

[honeyman46408]

If the queen has room to lay eggs I would keep feeding untill the honey flow, most of the time when they can get the REAL stuff they wont take sugar water any more but they dont always read the same books we do :lookout:

 

[Yuleluder]

Keep feeding until they have drawn out two deeps or until they stop taking the syrup.

 

[RZRBCK BEE]

Keep feeding until they have drawn out two deeps or until they stop taking the syrup.

This is what I do also. Works for me.

 

[Fred Bee]

Yep...I agree...what they said!
Good luck!

 

[Roland]

A dissenting voice here: Keep feeding if you want feed in your honey, especially if you are running 2 deeps for a brood chamber(more places for feed to hide ). If you fill them with feed, where do you think the feed goes when you add a super and the queen needs room to lay eggs? Get to know your flowers in the area. Check for "slop" in the hive. We try to make the purest honey we can, and have been known to start packages on foundation, if the dandelions blooming.

Roland
Linden Apiary, Est. 1852

 

[hillhousehoney]

Hello
I usually feed new packages until I see pollen, and then pull it off, but the problem this year is starting out just like last year. Raining every 3 days and/or lasting for 3 days. In cases like this should feed be put back on as brood will be emerging?

TW

 

[larrythebeek]

A dissenting voice here: Keep feeding if you want feed in your honey, especially if you are running 2 deeps for a brood chamber(more places for feed to hide ). If you fill them with feed, where do you think the feed goes when you add a super and the queen needs room to lay eggs?

When you add another brood chamber or a super, do they usually move the stored food up?

I wondered about that.... I'm still on one brood chamber on both hives.

Larry

 

[Beeslave]

As the population expands the brood nest expands. If there is syrup in the way of brood expansion the bees will relocate that syrup elswhere. That elsewhere is usually up.

 

[Yuleluder]

I know in SE PA you will rarely if ever get a crop the first year from a package of bees. The flow comes quick and hard in May through Mid June, most packages are still drawing out foundation by the time the flow comes to a screaching halt. The past five years there has been absolutely no fall nectar flow only pollen. That is why I tell first year keepers to feed, feed and feed some more. The biggest failure around SE PA is starvation and it will happen really quick in the month of July if the bees haven't put up a surplus in May and June.

 

[Ravenseye]

I base it all on two things. Are they pulling wax on foundation and are they taking syrup. If they're pulling wax, I let them take all the feed I can give them. I want them to convert that to comb. If they're on comb, they're probably a second or so year colony and I want honey so I feed more for medicating and to get them jump started. After that, I stop feeding.

If they stop all by themselves, I assume there's a flow BUT I check to make sure there's nothing else wrong. If they're on foundation AND there's no flow AND they stop taking syrup, I look for a queen problem or other colony issues.