# Feeding freshly hived packages



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Unless I have some old crystallized honey around to feed, I usually feed syrup and just try to LEAVE them enough honey so I don't have to feed them after that. Comb honey goes for way too much money to be feeding it. They will find nectar and pollen this time of year and won't need much feeding. Just enough to get them established and having some stores to fall back on if the weather is rainy for too long.


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> Unless I have some old crystallized honey around to feed, I usually feed syrup and just try to LEAVE them enough honey so I don't have to feed them after that. Comb honey goes for way too much money to be feeding it. They will find nectar and pollen this time of year and won't need much feeding. Just enough to get them established and having some stores to fall back on if the weather is rainy for too long.


My misguided father in law the last two years gave my wife and I a few gallons of honey knowing how much we prefer it to sugar. He didn't seem to understand the requisite "local and raw" qualifiers. We've been using it to make wine, but I figured it would be a good alternative to sugar syrup if the benefits outweigh the risks. And it would give me a good excuse to switch back to using good honey for the mead ....

The comb I fed them was in fact leftovers that have been in the freezer for two years now (from a local beekeeper). Since it seems we are not likely to eat it anytime soon I thought it a good starter and threw them into the TBH's with the fresh packages. I figured this would keep them going for a few days, and this week looks rainy/cloudy.

I'm building all my own equipment and have not yet in fact made my own sugar feeders (will work on that this week, after I conceptualize of course).

Do you (or anyone else) bother with frame feeders in a TBH? The concept itself puts me off and I'm thinking some outdoor feeders will be just fine this time of year (even with the cloudy/rainy days there's enough good flying time). Is this approach adequate for starting packages?


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

ps. How's this baggy feeder work? I could stick those in and remove the comb honey, or just let them eat it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Do you (or anyone else) bother with frame feeders in a TBH?

I do in the ones that standard frames can fit in.

> The concept itself puts me off and I'm thinking some outdoor feeders will be just fine this time of year (even with the cloudy/rainy days there's enough good flying time). Is this approach adequate for starting packages?

Outdoor feeding can have mixed results. I can set off robbing, draw feral bees, neighbor's bees etc. But sometimes it works well.

Baggies are simple. You fill a gallon zip lock bag with 3 quarts or less of syrup. Lay it flat on the bottom and cut a couple of short slits in it.


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> >
> Baggies are simple. You fill a gallon zip lock bag with 3 quarts or less of syrup. Lay it flat on the bottom and cut a couple of short slits in it.


I'm picturing the bag leaking its entire contents onto the ground after I slit it. Will 5mm slits in the bag with a 1:1 solution work well?


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

*Baggie feeders*

Try doing a search for baggie feeders in here. I know we've talked about it numerous times this past few months. Its explains it better that I will but here's the just of it.
Fill the baggie but not completely. Close it and keep an air bubble in it. Lay it flat on top of the frames. Then cut some slits on the top w/ the air bubble(I only use a couple,also I use a razor blade, it cuts better). You might get a little seepage out at first but it creates a vacuum and wont leak. I put a shallow super over it so I wont smash the bag w/ the top. You could use some sticks or something to keep it up if needed. It works fine after I ran out of feeders I used this method.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The slits are in the top. It looks like a water bed mattress setting there. It doesn't leak if you don't overfill it.


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## beenovice (Jun 19, 2007)

I find baggies perfect. Baggies do not leak but I put those in shallow container just in case.


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

Looks like I made my slits too big on one of the two baggies, after 15 minutes it was still dripping. I'm hoping it'll drip down to a certain level and then maintain some sort of equilibrium, I don't want to open the hive again for a week or so but I feel like I should check on the feeder in case its empty.

They still have most of the 4x4' honey comb, will that last them assuming they can't forage?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>They still have most of the 4x4' honey comb, will that last them assuming they can't forage?

That's not much honey for a hive that is getting started. But if they still have it left they must not need it or it's too cold to get to it.


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> >They still have most of the 4x4' honey comb, will that last them assuming they can't forage?
> 
> That's not much honey for a hive that is getting started. But if they still have it left they must not need it or it's too cold to get to it.


The weather is going to be poor until friday. I hope they're okay.

In hindsight it may have been more appropriate to leave them in the packages and just feed all week. The day I put them in was decent weather for a few hours, been pretty crappy since.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>In hindsight it may have been more appropriate to leave them in the packages and just feed all week. The day I put them in was decent weather for a few hours, been pretty crappy since.

It's probably better to get them in the hive. Surely daytime temps will be warm enough to take some syrup/honey?


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## mfisch (Aug 28, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> >In hindsight it may have been more appropriate to leave them in the packages and just feed all week. The day I put them in was decent weather for a few hours, been pretty crappy since.
> 
> It's probably better to get them in the hive. Surely daytime temps will be warm enough to take some syrup/honey?


It was nice enough yesterday. Sunday/Monday were horrible. Hopefully the weather is nice enough to finish off the week and I don't have a mass starvation. This weekend will be the start of nice weather again. On saturday I'll replace the feeders and see if they've made any progress.


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