It seems we are in a dearth...bees certainly are interested in any drops of honey or syrup laying about. If folks from the Pacific North West can comment on whether they get a fall flow or not it would be appreciated. If we don't then it is a very short season.
I have started feeding the nucs...not the production hives. If my assumption that production hives will have enough stores on board is wrong please let me know.
Last year I only fed a handful of hives ...kitchen stove and 8 gallon batches of syrup worked well. This year there are more hives and 8 gallons doesn't even top up half of the nucs! I have been topping up them twice a week and they are bone dry when I check them. Larger ones get a gallon and smaller ones half a gallon. Hive top feeders...no open feeding or boardman feeders.
How do folks that aren't commercial yet have 30 or more hives to feed make up and distribute their sugar sugar syrup?
At the moment I use 2 4 gallon stock pots and fill 8 gallon jugs at a go. I am not keeping up with this and the family complains that the stove top always has bee water on it
Thanks for any all ideas.
I have started feeding the nucs...not the production hives. If my assumption that production hives will have enough stores on board is wrong please let me know.
Last year I only fed a handful of hives ...kitchen stove and 8 gallon batches of syrup worked well. This year there are more hives and 8 gallons doesn't even top up half of the nucs! I have been topping up them twice a week and they are bone dry when I check them. Larger ones get a gallon and smaller ones half a gallon. Hive top feeders...no open feeding or boardman feeders.
How do folks that aren't commercial yet have 30 or more hives to feed make up and distribute their sugar sugar syrup?
At the moment I use 2 4 gallon stock pots and fill 8 gallon jugs at a go. I am not keeping up with this and the family complains that the stove top always has bee water on it
Thanks for any all ideas.