# No Stores for Winter



## KeepingBeesinTN (Sep 25, 2013)

Hi Everyone. I am new to beekeeping, got my first 2 hives in June. I fed the girls syrup (1:1) for the first few weeks as we got them late and missed the spring nectar flow. When their nectar consumption slowed, I stopped feeding them. They had filled 8 frames with brood so I put on a medium super. Everything looked great so I left bees alone for about 8 weeks (I know now that was a BIG mistake!). When I checked on them again I found that they had eaten all of their capped honey and pollen stores. One hive seemed to have lost at least 1/2 of it's bees. I guess they swarmed. We've had a very wet and cool summer. The bees didn't forage enough and therefore ate their stores. I just started to feed them again and they are taking more than a gallon of syrup per week per hive. My question is do I have enough time to get them ready for winter? Will feeding 2:1 syrup be enough? What else should I be doing? Thanks in advance for your help!


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Allow them to take 2:1 syrup as long as you can. Then place some sugar blocks or fondant above the cluster and cross your fingers. If they are flying during warm days in late January or February add some pollen patties. You should have a good chance.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

Be sure to treat the hives for mites. A hive top feeder such as this:

http://www.kelleybees.com/Shop/22/Queens-Bees/Feed/4509/Double-Hive-Top-Feeder

I make my own with 4 holes for quart jars. Cover them with an empty brood box and then cover with a telescoping top. 

Food patties are a good thing if the bees will consume them and they don't attract small hive beetles. I prefer to provide a pollen substitute the bees can forage on warm days. I have found that Mannlake Ultra Bee pollen substitute works GREAT.

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page49.html

It is a bit pricey but if you buy it in the 50 lb. bags and seal it in 5 gallon food grade seal top buckets makes the price cheaper. I bought the 1,500 lb. tote and split it with others. 

I use the Mannlake Bee Pro feeders. 

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/category/page47.html#!productInfo/2/

They are expensive but work VERY well and worth every penny in the feed they save from getting wet and bees are attracted too and seem to prefer flying into the feeder. A chicken feeder will work but must be protected from getting damp or wet. If the feed gets wet or damp, it will get hard as a rock and mold. The pollen substitute feeders outside the hive also encourage the bees to make much needed purging flights and keep them active during the winter as much as possible on warm days and even cool days. 

For a few hives these components may not be economically practical, but if you plan to increase your hive numbers by splits and adding packages, would be a good investment.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to Beesource from Greeneville!

Once it is too cold (less than about 50 degrees) for the bees to take 2:1 syrup, and you still need to feed, ordinary dry granulated sugar can be fed by placing a sheet of newspaper over the top bars and adding a bag of sugar on top. More here:



> *Dry Sugar.* Some put it on top of the inner cover. Some put a sheet of newspaper on top of the top bars, add a box on top and put the sugar on the newspaper (as in the photos above). Others put it in a frame feeder (the black plastic trough kind). I've even pulled two frames out of an eight frame box that were empty and dumped the sugar in the gap (with a solid bottom board of course). With screened bottom boards or with a small hive that just needs a little help, I'll pull some empty frames out, put some newspaper in the gap and put a little sugar, spray a little water to clump it so it doesn't run out, a little more sugar until I get it full. Sometimes the house bees carry it out for trash if you don't clump it. If you drizzle some water on it you can get the bees interested in it. The finer the sugar the better they take it. If you can get "bakers" sugar or "drivert" sugar it will be better accepted that standard sugar but harder to find and more expensive.
> 
> http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

Does the dry feed dispenser not attract other insects and rodents to the area it is in?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome KBT!


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## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

According to your profile you are in Tennessee. I'm in southern Kentucky, so our weather should be similar. I think you still have time to feed enough 2 to 1 sugar water to get them ready for winter. If you keep plenty of sugar water available you will be surprised how much they will store before winter. You may not need a pollen substitute. Even when my bees are out of nectar they always have lots of pollen stored, so check your hives.


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## KeepingBeesinTN (Sep 25, 2013)

Thank you for your replies, I really appreciate it! I will continue to feed syrup as long as I can. I was planning to make grease patties, but may also provide a pollen substitute. I've also read that you can make a thick paste and press it onto an empty frame so that the girls don't have to move up to the feeder. There is more pollen in my frames than brood right now, but it doesn't seem like enough. Is there some rule of thumb on how much pollen they're supposed to have? I have hive beetles (came in the mail with the bees) and I need to do something about those. I'm going to the TN Beekeepers Association Conference this weekend and plan to ask lots of questions and buy whatever products i need to get the girls ready for winter. Thanks again for your suggestions!


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Pollen is largely used in raising brood, and relatively little brood will be raised in the winter months. Honey (or stored syrup, or emergency dry sugar) is what the adult bees will eat through the winter.

If you are going to feed pollen sub/patties, consider waiting to do that until its closer to the time that spring brood is raised. Your hive beetles may really enjoy those patties.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

WBVC said:


> Does the dry feed dispenser not attract other insects and rodents to the area it is in?


I have been using them for 3 years and never had any problems.


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## tommysnare (Jan 30, 2013)

im going to remove all supers drawn,capped and packed or not starting this weekend. followed by open feeding AWAY FROM THE APIARY 5 gallon buckets of 2:1 syrup. end of october/early november i will overwinter them by laying newspaper along the top bars of the top brood box and pouring on some dry sugar.then add an empty super for clearance. im hoping this will keep them strong through winter.


any thoughts or recommendations ?


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