Currently I have a hive that overwintered as a glorified 5 frame nuc (in a 9 frame box, the extra space filled with foam board) that I have recently taken the stuffing out of and put wax foundation frames back in place. My goal for this hive is to build it up into two full deeps, get honey, and possibly steal a couple of frames from it in order to do a split (Only about 2 frames, hopefully my second hive will be able to provide 2 more so that neither of them are set back much).
Obviously, helping them along with getting some buildup going is whats on my mind right now. Yesterday it was warm enough for them to be flying en masse, and they found some old crystallized honey I had tossed out for the neighbor's dog, and were going to town on it. Makes me think maybe I should put some syrup in the feeder, but I know for a fact they've got a candy board over their heads that they've only eaten at most a third of (and a patty on top of that).
So, I ask ye of greater experience than I. Should I give them syrup from the feeder until an actual flow starts, or leave them bee with their candy board and whatever else they can scrape up out there? I feel like they should be fine with the dry sugar still in the candyboard, but I have to admit they seemed very eager to get as much of that crystallized honey as they could. So what would promote buildup more, dry sugar or sugar syrup?
Obviously, helping them along with getting some buildup going is whats on my mind right now. Yesterday it was warm enough for them to be flying en masse, and they found some old crystallized honey I had tossed out for the neighbor's dog, and were going to town on it. Makes me think maybe I should put some syrup in the feeder, but I know for a fact they've got a candy board over their heads that they've only eaten at most a third of (and a patty on top of that).
So, I ask ye of greater experience than I. Should I give them syrup from the feeder until an actual flow starts, or leave them bee with their candy board and whatever else they can scrape up out there? I feel like they should be fine with the dry sugar still in the candyboard, but I have to admit they seemed very eager to get as much of that crystallized honey as they could. So what would promote buildup more, dry sugar or sugar syrup?