1:1 syrup vs 2:1 syrup

[Chip Euliss]

May be getting a little late but iddee or others in NC would know better than I.  My experience is here in ND and on the California circuit.  I would guess that your Q is laying some so maybe stimulation work would increase brood production?  Just get feed to them if they respond well.  My wife's from Elizabeth City and one Christmas not too many years ago, I removed a colony of bees that had taken up residence in an old house they have on the property.  I remember brood but didn't study it much but I doubt there was a lot of brood or it would have made a larger impression on my fading brain cells   It was a large hive and the active comb pretty much filled a deep and a half with cut out comb that I tied in frames.  I gave the hive to one of her uncles who kept bees to pollinate his watermelons and other crops and they did well the following season.  Give it a whirl and see how it goes; as long as you can get feed in, you don't have much to loose.  That said, if your hive has fewer bees than you would like, ramping them up earlier in the year would probably be a better option.  I'd probably start in August when they're still bringing in natural pollen.

[iddee]

I would try to keep dry feed on them, but not expect much brood until after solstice. She will start ramping up production then, and have a full box by March 1. Once started, keep the feed to them. 3 days without it and the whole hive can starve.

[CBT]

Mikey, be careful not to give them a whole patty at one time. We have found the small hive Beatle love to lay eggs in it. Give them a 1/3 and let the bees eat it up quick. Just saying 

[Nugget Shooter]

Great reading and information, I am in Arizona's central desert and have been coached to feed both protein and 2:1 syurp right now as we are in a dearth and until it rains there will be very very little for the bees. This is my first year and first winter season so learning much still. We have no winter and very few if any days the bees are not active during the day all winter. I was told to feed as mentioned above until the rains start in Late November or early December which will start our first flow which is normally sometime in January through late May again depending on rain.

Seeking opinions about this..... Seem sound advise to go into the flow after feeding to maintain colony growth?

[Chip Euliss]

Cool place to live Nugget.  I used to go to AZ in January to bowhunt Javelina in the mornings and hunt quali with my bird dogs in the afternoons, mostly in the SE corner of the state.  Given that your flows are so dependent on rain, you are probably on the right path; keeping the hives on a steady path so you can catch the flow but not have too many bees to feed if the flow doesn't materialize.  In my situation, the almond bloom is a given that you can set your watch to and our summers here are such that you will make a good crop if you have 50,000 bees in each hive and not so much if you only have 30,000.  Big difference in our climate regimes.  Does the Mesquite bloom in January or is it later.  May reach a point where I split in AZ before coming home.  Great place to run dogs!

[Nugget Shooter]

The Mesquite Bloom is in late March or April as a rule, but with rain comes wildflowers and the Creosote Bush will often bloom as well. Thank you for the reply. We are rural so not as many planted goodies for bees as in the city like citrus which also blooms early.

[Lburou]

It is amazing how different locations handle bees in their 'normal' year.  We have a wide range of climates here on WWBeekeeping. 

I had a beekeeper from Siberia visit my bee yard a couple years ago, (he lives close to the Ural mountains).  He had attended a government training program for beekeepers and was very confident in his knowledge.  He said, through an interpreter, he kept about 15 hives, which he combined into seven or eight hives for the winter, and let the queens fight it out.  Then he placed his bees about 12 feet under the surface in some kind of root cellar for the winter. He thought my hygienic Italian bees were remarkably docile. He does not feed over winter, but leaves a lot of honey ( I don't remember if he said anything about feeding protein over winter - he should in the spring)

The corporate memory of our local mentors & Clubs is invaluable.  But, I do appreciate the counsel of the commercial, side-line and master keeps here.  Thanks for the info Chip, you have persuaded me to be bold in feeding my bees.  I'll probably only feed NUCs, swarms, cut outs and other weak colonies, but I think they will get both sugar and pollen patties when I do feed.  And iddee, I'll remember it is important to feed until a natural flow is on before discontinuing any feeding. 

[sc-bee]

Adding syrup, whether light or heavy, can be beneficial or not based on when, where and what's going on in the hive and in the surrounding landscape..............

Best post I have read in a long time... Thanks..

[efmesch]

The process of concentrating the syrup not only requires energy but it cools the hive as the water is evaporated.  Generally speaking, in the cool fall temperatures, you don't want to cool the hive more than necessary, so a thicker syrup is preferrable.

[Chip Euliss]

Very good point Ef!

[neillsayers]

This thread turned into a good read. Thanks Jen.

[Jen]

Sure thing Neil!