Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on March 05, 2014, 02:30:17 pm

Title: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: Jen on March 05, 2014, 02:30:17 pm
Our temps are ranging from 50-60 most days, 30-40 at most nights. Should I switch from winter patties to syrup?

Lite syrup or heavy syrup?
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: Dunkel on March 05, 2014, 02:36:48 pm
You could introduce some syrup and see how they do.  I know if I ever see those temps again I sure would. :)
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: iddee on March 05, 2014, 02:42:41 pm
How far away from your house is the hive? If 50 feet or more, you can set a boardman type feeder on the back porch and watch them from the house. That's what I do.
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: Jen on March 05, 2014, 02:56:45 pm
Iddee- I would love that, however, I have my grandchild age 5 and her 6 friends that come back and forth thru the sliding door. If I set up the boardman by the sliding door... one of the kids may get stung, or a brave little boy might tamper with it. This neighbor boy says his dad said if you see a bee "Smack It!" I'm not thinking that will work for me.

I'm thinking a quart jar inside of a deep with the lid on
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: iddee on March 05, 2014, 02:59:58 pm
Or 6 or more feet high.........
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: Jen on March 05, 2014, 03:47:35 pm
I went to www.outyard.weebly.com and got some feeding answers. Awesome Site Scott!
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: GLOCK on March 05, 2014, 03:57:36 pm


I'm thinking a quart jar inside of a deep with the lid on
That's the best feeder in my book . I have used them all and I now use Gal. jars in a deep just like you and it works great .
I use the same jar method on my nucs  just QTs. Better for not causing robbing.
If I was you I would switch to syrup .
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: barry42001 on March 05, 2014, 04:00:26 pm
say Jen, I kinda favor teaching a kid respect for insects, by letting the insects teach them, if the parents are too ignorant to the teach them first. I am assuming that you have your property posted as having bees. if not you should for liability purposes. with that said they need to learn respect for all creatures great and small. It's how I learned lol learning curve is really steep, you tend to get the message pretty quickly.
as far as feeding the bees from a personal perspective, I have always favored a gallon jug with the perforated lid over the hole in the inner cover, add empty super, cover with outer cover.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: iddee on March 05, 2014, 04:24:51 pm
Barry is 100% correct, from the bee's perspective. I just love to sit on the porch and watch them work.  :)
Title: Re: Should I be feeding syrup instead of winter patties?
Post by: riverbee on March 05, 2014, 05:43:32 pm
"Our temps are ranging from 50-60 most days, 30-40 at most nights. Should I switch from winter patties to syrup?
Lite syrup or heavy syrup?"

no more patties jen, let them finish off what you have left and lite syrup jen, 1:1.
use what whatever method works for you.

when i feed, it's through a 1 gallon pail inverted over the inner cover and covered by a deep box.