# Trouble feeding?



## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Perhaps the syrup has gotten cooled off due to drafts or being near an exterior wall? Can you reheat it and then surround the container with something (an insulated beer can sleeve, as an example) that keeps it warmer, for longer?

Perhaps there is an off-taste in that batch and a new batch would do the trick.

I wouldn't use LGO, but maybe a tiny touch of Honey-B-Healthy?

Do you have any of your own (known to be safe) honey that you could smear over intake for the syrup (not with syrup in place? A day or so of licking up honey from that position may retrain them to expect good things there.

If they still have brood they may need pollen more than carbs. Do they have some natural pollen in the cells?

Enj.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I'm having the same issue. What I've done is put styrofoam coffee cups above top vent holes with 1 tiny hole in each. I fill the cups with honey and they very slowly drip the honey into the hive. The bees "clean it up" and turn around and store it. It's allowed me to put 5-6 pounds of honey in the hive so far.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Are they too far from the feeder?

Add sugar blocks right above the cluster (you can make them really thin), pour syrup into an empty frames near the cluster (shake off excess), check your feeder is not clogged.

I have a few really small ones in my garage I drip a very thin line of syrup on the top bars, don't get any on the bees. 

I don't know how long the damage from EOs will last, you could be making them vulnerable to brood diseases in the spring. If they are not taking it EOs are unlikely to help.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

Maybe I'll try swinging the hive out from the wall and see what they do to warm back up. It's an internal frame feeder so i can't do much with it.

I don't have any honey b healthy but just LGO i use for bait hives. I was thinking of pouring a little into the feeder. I cam do the feeder from the top through a vent hole. 

It's also a 2 depthed frame hive so i dunno what they have going on in the center. I gave them a good sploog of protein supplement and they've consumed most of it. 

I dunno how i can do anything to them on the inside. Id have to take them outside which is cold to get into them. 

I haven't been using EO's at all. Was just thinking that might have been a good way too try and entice them to go for the syrup.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

A few drop of vinegar will make the syrup just as attractive as EO and won't be nearly as hard on them. Both can attract robbers so use it with caution. 

If they are consuming pollen sub give them more, I add extra syrup to my patties a little runny, just thick enough to stay on the top bars, I find they consume them quicker and less waste. 

Try dipping some syrup in the vent hole, see if they consume it.


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