Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Beekeeping 101 => Topic started by: 40 Acre Bees on April 07, 2018, 01:24:19 pm

Title: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: 40 Acre Bees on April 07, 2018, 01:24:19 pm

The weather outside is certainly frightful, has anyone in NS started spring feeding (syrup) yet.  My sugar cakes are getting down and I'm starting to worry!

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Jen on April 07, 2018, 01:39:18 pm

Hi 40, I don't know about all of us beeks here in upper northern California but I am feeding both syrup and sugar cakes. The weather is typical spring weather... 3 days of warm, 4 days of rain, 2 days of warm, 2 days of major wind, 1 day of hail and grapple, 4 days of warm. Makes it tough on virgin queens to get mated. So, I'm keeping plenty of sugar and syrup on, whatever each hive uses most.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Perry on April 07, 2018, 02:35:15 pm

Hard to get them to take syrup below 10C. I am still using fondant. I know of one guy who is feeding syrup but it is in frame feeders.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Rugerbob on April 07, 2018, 06:53:43 pm

I just finished making more fondant.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: 40 Acre Bees on April 07, 2018, 09:17:46 pm

I also ended up adding more sugar cake today.  Hopefully the temperatures warm up soon.  Was hoping to start syrup by now, but temps don't look real promising yet for the next week or more.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Rugerbob on April 08, 2018, 05:15:45 am

Watch for the red maple bloom, this is when I start feeding sugar water.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Bakersdozen on April 08, 2018, 09:21:38 am

Quote from: 40 Acre Bees on April 07, 2018, 09:17:46 pm

I also ended up adding more sugar cake today.  Hopefully the temperatures warm up soon.  Was hoping to start syrup by now, but temps don't look real promising yet for the next week or more.

40 Acres: That's better than starvation.
Rugerbob:  Around here we get the first pollen from Silver Maples and Elms.  Then the red maples start blooming.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: riverbee on April 08, 2018, 10:32:14 pm

40 acre.........same bee boat as you, temps well below normal for this time of year. putting more sugar bricks/cake/fondant on good decision! and keep it on until weather is good for syrup.  no way i could feed syrup now and looking at weather, not for a couple weeks!

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: Les on April 09, 2018, 09:07:29 am

No syrup in NYS yet, too cold and the bees won't take it.  Still have sugar bricks on and I put in a frame of pollen.

Title: Re: Spring Feeding - Nova Scotia Keeps
Post by: treeman4646 on April 10, 2018, 07:39:39 am

I'm just south of Ottawa, I put sugar patties on about 6 weeks ago and added some maybe three still getting below zero at night and hardly +4C or +5C during the odd day.
I'd think still too cold for syrup.