# when to stop feeding my new hive?



## Bass (Mar 30, 2015)

I started with a Nuc 2 months ago, I've been feeding since then. now they have 2 deep boxes, the top deep was 7 out of 10 full with capped honey and brood. So I added a honey super, but left the top feeder on. Should I stop feeding now? They're still going through 10 lbs of sugar a week.


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## lprikockis (May 19, 2015)

I've only had bees for about long as you (also started with a nuc), but my understanding is that you definitely don't want to be feeding while the nectar flow is on. Basically, the bees will just fill up every available cell with syrup, the queen will have no place to lay new eggs, and the hive will end up swarming. I'm a bit south of you in Maryland (DC) area, but I'd imagine there are still trees and things blooming in PA so the bees ought to be able to find plenty on their own. Just my (newbee) opinion, but I'd take off the feeder now.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

yeah. you probably don't have much honey in those cells. its all syrup. if you want honey take off the feeder and see what they do.


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## Bass (Mar 30, 2015)

You're right there's still lots of things flowering such as clover. I'll take it off and let them produce honey. They were getting ready to swarm, then I removed the old queen and placed her in a nuc with a few brood and honey. Now waiting on this hive to produce a new queen.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>when to stop feeding my new hive?
>I started with a Nuc 2 months ago...

I would have stopped 2 months ago...


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

If you are intending to harvest the super as honey, stop feeding. I disagree with a lot of people about feeding.

If I am trying to get honey, I don't feed. If I am not trying to get honey, I am trying to get bees. I feed as long as the bees will take it. A hive that is building up has a lot of young bees. They are busy covering brood. When they "graduate" and become foragers the are adding to stores and providing food for brood. 

Different regions have different situations. We have not had significant rain for a month. The honey flow is really slow right now.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Bass said:


> I started with a Nuc 2 months ago, I've been feeding since then. now they have 2 deep boxes, the top deep was 7 out of 10 full with capped honey and brood. So I added a honey super, but left the top feeder on. Should I stop feeding now? They're still going through 10 lbs of sugar a week.


I think it's safe to say in this case the bees have been over fed. Over feeding invites swarming and encourages bees to move feed into honey supers. My advice is once bees have a nice rim of stored honey/feed surrounding the brood that you should suspend any feeding. Experience will teach you what flows to expect and when in your area and this information along with weather forecasts will help you to make an informed decision. 
Frankly, of all the decisions I make in beekeeping, the feed or not to feed one is the toughest call of all.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

I'm about 90 miles north of you and the white clover just began blooming and bees are just getting on it. You probably have had it for a couple weeks now. This is what your bees should be feeding on. As suggested, get the feeders off immediately.

If it absolutely necessary to feed, as it is with new packages, feed only until there is nectar flowing and you have sufficient foragers to collect it. The idea that you should stop feeding when you place honey supers on for harvest is incorrect. You should cease feeding as far ahead of placing supers on the hive as possible since your bees can and will spread that sugar water throughout the hive as they evaporate the water and store it. They haven't read the book that states which boxes are for them and which are your the bee keeper.

Wayne


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## Bass (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks for all the good tips, I removed it. No wonder they're filling every cell with syrup. They have enough food for winter based on what I'm seeing. almost half of the top deep box is capped honey/syrup. You think I can collect what honey they produce this year, since this is a new hive?
As you all might know, when you ask 10 beekeepers you get 10 different answers.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Bass said:


> They have enough food for winter based on what I'm seeing. almost half of the top deep box is capped honey/syrup. You think I can collect what honey they produce this year, since this is a new hive?


As with all things in life, it depends. The may have enough now, but there's no guarantee that a dearth might eat all up all those stores. I haven't been in PA long enough to know what to expect, but where I used to keep bees, boxes full in mid-june could be empty in August. Feeding could even become necessary until a fall flow begins. 

You never can tell with bees. At least that's what Winnie The Pooh says and I agree.

Wayne


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

I agree with Wayne. Stop feeding now, but keep an eye on them and don't hesitate to feed again in August/September if they are not accumulating stores OR they keep raising brood and eat all that honey. I've had it happen, with bad results come spring.

We have a significant dearth here starting once the white sweet clover is done that lasts until the asters bloom in late August, so I will be feeding all my hives most of the rest of the summer, although only a quart or so a day. This is to keep them building, since I only have one overwintered hive this year, the other five are packages, splits, or swarms and won't build up enough without the feeding. I'm not losing a hive to hive beetles in May again, so I'm going to be feeding and treating for mites.

Peter


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

I'm sure forage plays a huge part, and as you can tell some feed and others don't. I prefer to let bees do what bees do, and not feed strong established hives... BUT the nucs I started this year are another story. I'll feed a new colony from the time I pull the frames over, until they move to a super and fill it with 10 frames of wax. Keep an eye that they don't draw five and fill with syrup, the point of my feeding is to keep them waxing frames. If nectar is still good, I'll stop at that point. If nectar is slow, I'll feed them through a second super of drawing wax as well. I should also mention, I run mediums, not deep, and compltely foundationless. I'm shooting for a minimum of 3 supers by winter, drawn and stocked. If they haven't gotten on their feet by late fall, I'll add some 2:1 syrup in hopes they can stock up before it gets too cold. Otherwise, I rely on hard sugar boards over winter as backup.


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## rmaxwell (Apr 23, 2014)

I am also feeding a few new, small colonies that were started off swarm cells. They are having to draw comb and are just now filling the first medium brood box and moving to the second. It is pushing 100 degrees this week and I'm using in-hive top feeders. I only feed twice a week, about a quart each hive. How quickly does the syrup go bad in conditions like this? I'm using 1:1 and each time I go back to refill, feeders are empty. No back filling so far but they are drawing comb and have few stores. Thanks.


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

I was seeing syrup ferment in just under a week, faster when ants got to it. This year I have started using essential oils. So far I like the results. We'll see over time. One oil I added to the mix is thyme oil . Once I added that, my syrup will last easily 2-3 weeks, and no longer developed the black gunk in the jar. The hives getting the oils generally seem to be progressing faster too.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I was seeing syrup ferment in just under a week

That's why I stopped using 1:1 years ago...


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