[ocba] how much bee feed?

Jeff Bollinger jeff01 at email.unc.edu
Thu Apr 24 12:30:51 EDT 2008


mike at argosyfarm.com wrote:
> Hi, We are brand new to beekeeping. We have two hives, currently consisting of 
> one medium 8 frame hive body each. Each hive started off with 3lbs of bees on 
> April 5th. We're feeding them sugar water mixed more or less 1:1 via some jar 
> type entrance feeders. Initially, each hive was going through roughly a pint per 
> day. Currently, one hive is going through 1 quart per day, and the other is 
> going through about 2/3 quart per day. We had anticipated that as things started 
> to bloom the bees would consume less sugar water, not more, yet they're going 
> through it at what to us seems like an amazing pace. They're building like crazy 
> in there, but to date each hive has only started filling in 4 of the frames, so 
> we've not yet added more vertical expansion space, though they are trying to 
> glue the roof down. What's "normal" feed consumption at this stage? Should we 
> keep feeding them all they want, or should we start weaning them off the sugar 
> water at this time of year?
> < br>Thanks,
> Mike Swaim


Chances are if this is your first year you will not be able to harvest 
much honey anyways (if at all).  So my rule of thumb is basically if 
they continue to eat the syrup you provide, keep putting it out there 
until they stop taking it.  It can only help to draw out more 
foundation.  If you already had enough established comb then of course 
you'd want to remove the feed because you want them storing honey in the 
cells and not your sugar syrup!

Jeff


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