# How Much Sugar Do You Use?



## Stonewall (Aug 27, 2013)

I harvest all I can out of each production hive. I will be using about 80 pounds of sugar after the harvest untill November. This is a per hive number. About 4 pounds of protein will be used per year per hive.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Do you feed in the spring at all for build up?


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## Stonewall (Aug 27, 2013)

Oh yes. protein sub is in the hive from January first untill the end of febuary. Thereafter, nothing until after the harvest.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Pollen sub... none.
Sugar... most years none.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

How much honey on average do you harvest per hive Stonewall? Just curious.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Michael Bush said:


> Pollen sub... none.
> Sugar... most years none.
> http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm


And you're probably smarter than all of us.
I did the stupidest thing with my first hived swarm (last month ). I started feeding it on day 1.
I FED A SWARM!! 
I know better now though.


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## Bdfarmer555 (Oct 7, 2015)

m0dem said:


> And you're probably smarter than all of us.
> I did the stupidest thing with my first hived swarm (last month ). I started feeding it on day 1.
> I FED A SWARM!!
> I know better now though.


Think I beat you for stupidest thing. Got busy, waited till day 10 to check a swarm I'd hived. 3/4 of them had starved and died. Queen still alive. So now I'm feeding a much smaller swarm.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

That doesn't sound right. Swarms are usually full of honey.
Anyway, I'm getting t:


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Michael Bush, how much honey on average do you get from each hive?


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

m0dem said:


> That doesn't sound right. Swarms are usually full of honey.
> Anyway, I'm getting t:


Your beekeeping management is location and time of year dependant. It's about flows, weather, temperatures, length of days in the time of year, etc.

What you need to feed as far as syrup and pollen sub will be much different from a beekeeper that is not located on your block in your neighborhood, much less in other cities or states or countries.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

100lbs per hive is a good average. But, then that depends ........


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

EastSideBuzz said:


> 100lbs per hive is a good average. But, then that depends ........


Ok. Is the majority of that poundage put into spring build up, or winter storage feeding?


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I feed swarms to watch them rapidly draw foundation into perfect combs. It is what they do best. And it helps them fill two brood boxes rapidly so they can start filling supers with honey. Thats what I am thinking. I start feeding pollen patties in mid February. Icontinue until they have large quantities stored. Any nuc orsplit gets fed patties until they are up to desired size. The pounds required? As many as it takes. 

This is intensive beekeeping. It will produce strong colonies that will swarm if not well managed. I have five medium supers well over half full on my best yard of overwintered doubles.. If we get a good rain, I need to start extracting.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Michael Bush, how much honey on average do you get from each hive?

Every year is different. Last year, probably 40 pounds. A bumper crop year, 200 pounds. A bad year, nothing.


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

Based on how much we sell I would say people feed a lot of sugar to the bees. looking at it from what customers are telling me they feed 60lbs in the spring and the same in the fall per hive.
hope that helps.


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## Stonewall (Aug 27, 2013)

In answer to your question m0dem, I average 120 pounds per production hive. But please keep in mind, I run duplex hives.


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