# Bees seem to be taking a LOT of sugar syrup...How much is too much?



## Dunkel (Jun 12, 2009)

Here coms the art part, I say keep it coming but if they begin filling the brood nest they will begin swarm mode. Once a day will probably be enough but you will need to check their progress and report back. I bet they will need another deep soon regardless.


----------



## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

for comparison my nucs have taken over a gallon of syrup in 6 days. Upon inspection today they had drawn out almost the whole box so I added another. basically if all you have is foundation keep feeding till they draw it out OR until they start filling the brood chamber. at least that's my plan.


----------



## Obie1 (May 27, 2015)

My package was taking 3/4 to 1 gallon every 4 days from a division board feeder. the last time I filled it they had only taken 1/2 gallon (day 12)


----------



## jsnider (Aug 12, 2014)

I am close to you and i started 2 nuts a week ago. The bees have been working clover and they are taking a quart of syrup a day. I did my first inspection today and they had 7 1/2 frames drawn and packing in about 2 frames with syrup/ nectar. I decided to add the second deep. One hive I spotted the queen but there was no uncapped brood and a lot of drone brood. Since there were no queen cells I think I am already in need of a queen. Other hive is doing great. Good luck with yours


----------



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Just so you know if they quit taking syrup it will only be a momentary pause. They will keep taking syrup right up to the time they swarm. I give all my 4 frame nucs a pint a day and it will be gone before evening. A quart a day is enough and about the right amount to feed a growing hive just keep an eye on them if they start backfilling quit feeding.


----------



## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

In my opinion, a nuc with comb doesn't need to be fed syrup if you have local sources of nectar. If they are very light when I get them I might feed them and I might feed them if I get them when there's no flow at all. If I installed them with foundation, I might feed them. Aside from that, a nuc with a good population should be doing what bees do without being fed.


----------



## suburbanrancher (Aug 5, 2011)

NewBee, when you say "porch feeder," are you referring to a Boardman feeder? If so, those are notorious for attracting robbers from other hives. You may be feeding other critters other than your bees.

"In hive" feeders such as top feeders are used to avoid attracting other bees or wasps. To avoid wasting the purchase of the Boardman feeder, you can use it for water only and that will also be of great benefit to the hive.


----------



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

How much you need to feed is dependent upon several things. Local nectar supply, stage of development of the hive, how many foragers you have in that hive, and what you are trying to get done.

A new package needs feeding because it usually is started on bare foundation (less feeding needed if you have drawn comb!) and usually it's short on foragers, more so by the time the first brood emerges. New hives intended for honey next year need feeding most of the summer and usually into fall to get them up to weight for winter. 

Boardman feeders are a problem. Get some hivetop feeders (I use the Kelley ones with a molded plastic insert, they hold 4 gallons of syrup), they will work better. 

As for amounts, watch what the bees take and what they do with it. As you get more experience, you will be able to tell what you need to feed. For a beginner, a quart or so a day on a package will let them draw comb and store some syrup for bad weather while encouraging them to expand. Around here a typical overwintering hive has two deeps of stores and brood, so I feed until they have the second box drawn and full of stores with brood in the bottom box, then feed up to around 100 lbs total weight in September and October if they are light. 

If you feed too much, you can induce even a fairly small package to swarm. I'd do inspections about once a week so you can see how the hive develops and track things -- this is really to often for the hive itself, but you need to learn and it's not so disruptive they will get into trouble. Make sure you always have brood in the brood nest, whatever size it is. If emerging brood is replaced with syrup or nectar instead of eggs, you are over-feeding and need to cut back, probably also need to get some open space in the brood nest the encourage eggs instead of swarming!

Peter


----------



## NewBeeinKY (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks everyone, for your answers!!

I was unable to get into the hive this weekend, as it has been very overcast with off-and-on rain. Every time I think there's a break and start to suit up, it starts raining again.

The bees do seem to be taking the syrup less voraciously than they were before. I don't think robbing is a problem--I've watched them closely for an hour or so at a time, and I have seen no other critters visiting the hive or the feeder aside from a hapless carpenter bee who left very, very quickly.

I have noticed lots of bees bringing back an abundance of pollen, which I think is probably a good sign. Hopefully, I can get into the hive this week and take a good look at things. 

I am considering replacing my current feeder with a hive-top feeder, if only because it will hold more syrup. There is a bird bath right next to the hive that my bees use for water.  

Thanks again, everyone!


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Consider the reason you feed them. This time of year a new colony of bees need as much drawn comb for their nest as they can make. A natural nectar flow will trigger comb building. Feeding sugar syrup will supplement that nectar and allow them to produce more comb. Once the nectar flow ends, you cannot make them produce more comb by feeding sugar syrup. By that time they will only store the syrup/honey and may fill the entire brood nest with it, leaving no place for the queen to lay eggs. 
The only good way to know if you are overfeeding or not is to open the hive regularly and see what's going on. If they are making new comb...keep feeding. If not, only feed them until they have some frames filled with honey and some remaining open comb for brood rearing.
Good luck.


----------

