[scurryn]

Now that we have a few days of sunny weather (cold at night, but no frost), I was thinking of strapping some jars of syrup on to our hives.

This seems like a good pre-spring idea to me to bolster their health, but my beekeeping book mentions only Fall and Spring feeding.

I don't want to do any harm -- What do you think? 1:1 or 2:1?

Thanks in advance

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Feed 2:1 but you will have to keep feeding until the natural flow starts.

 

[odfrank]

Feed in Los Gatos NOW?? Forgetaboutit. You would only feed small nucs or starts, and even that would be questionable. Fruit tree and eucalyptus are in full bloom. Any hive of any size with a decent field force doesn't need feeding now in Los Gatos. There is so much in bloom they might not even take it.

 

[Fuzzy]

Dude,

This is california. I just took 200lbs of honey out of the brood boxes yesterday. They don't need food... They need space and supers in a week or so.

Odfrank and I have both already picked up swarms this year. The hives are bustin out.

If you want free bees, get the bait hives out and mounted NOW !!

Fuzzy

 

[scurryn]

Dude,

Thanks for helping out the newbies.

 

[scurryn]

One more quick question:

Then is it time to medicate?

 

[Fuzzy]

"Then is it time to medicate? "

Too late !

For the record, I do not medicate EVER. The bees survive quite nicely. Am on a program to rotate out old comb after 3 yrs or so and let the bees build new comb.

Fuzzy

 

[KQ6AR]

Same here in Concord. The hives have to much honey in them, & everything is blooming.

If you put feed on, they wouldn't even touch it.