Starving Bees

[Headfry]

Cant get in...weather is so poor, really worried.
I had as of the 22nd Aug a 3/4 to 1/2 filled super on there, would you think that will be ok to get them to say friday/weekend?
sun is out now but I am here at work and worrying heaps!

[Pumpkin Becki]

To date, 9lb sugar-in-syrup and 6kg of sugar fondant provided to the hive in 6 days. And two types of antibiotic fed to prevent varroa and nosema.
Not easy this bee-keeping mularchy! :-)
P17B

Wow, I had no idea bees needed that sort of quantity of food! Is that just one hive Plot17b?

[bramble]

I have a couple of beds of Dhalias growing and they are alive with bees these last few weeks. I think they are a good choice of flower to grow as they flower late in the season when the bees need them and flower right up until the first frosts kill them.

[Stacey Steve]

My cousin has 38 hives in Essex and he was saying that this has been the worst year for ages, he hasn't been taking as much honey because he knows he would only have to start feeding sugar.

[Plot17B]

Hiya,
Yes, that's the amount of feed i'm giving to my 1 colony now. One of the experts in my local group says "Black bees will usually winter successfully on around 20lbs of stores, whereas yellow bees may need 60lbs". So that's simply for the girls to feed on over winter, ticking along at a slower metabolic rate. They'll only really leave the hive to get water so they can dilute their stored honey. (if they store it too dilute it ferments and is useless to them).
I've taken zero honey in this, my first year of bee keeping. We had hoped to sample a single frame or two and hope for a good 2009 crop, but the shocking weather has meant the girls literally ate everything in stores. And it's peeing down ever since I re-fed them this afternoon so got there in time! :-)
p17b

[Plot17B]

Cant get in...weather is so poor, really worried.
I had as of the 22nd Aug a 3/4 to 1/2 filled super on there, would you think that will be ok to get them to say friday/weekend?
sun is out now but I am here at work and worrying heaps!

Well, weather tonight's been a shocker and Friday/Saturday is going to be worse! Any way you can sneak off for an hour tomorrow and check on them? Are you treating with Apistan & fumidil yet?

It's tricky coz I was stunned at how fast they emptied the 7 drawn super frames and three honeyed brood frames of stores. Clearly demonstrates how much they bring in on a daily basis to sustain the colony/stores. Those girls do work damned hard.

Fingers crossed you can get an inspection in soon HF. Keep us up to date with news!

And Bramble's doing the right thing with the Dhalias - good pollen/nectar rich late flowering plants is what the girls need right now. Good stuff!
P17B

[Plot17B]

I have a couple of beds of Dhalias growing and they are alive with bees these last few weeks. I think they are a good choice of flower to grow as they flower late in the season when the bees need them and flower right up until the first frosts kill them.

hello, me again,
Here's a list of good bee friendly plants and their flowering times, FYI:
Stratford-upon-Avon & District Beekeepers' Association: Gardening for Bees and other Insects

Spread the word (and the plants!)

cheers

p17b

[Headfry]

Plot17b, no not put in the apiguard yet, cant get in the hive been that way for two weeks now....getting stressed about my girls. I feel useless dont like it at all.
I dont want them to starve - it would break my heart.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Plot17b, no not put in the apiguard yet, cant get in the hive been that way for two weeks now....getting stressed about my girls. I feel useless dont like it at all.
I dont want them to starve - it would break my heart.

Is it possible to leave food just outside the entrance to the hive, or would that attract unwanted visitors?

[Plot17B]

Is it possible to leave food just outside the entrance to the hive, or would that attract unwanted visitors?

Hi,
Yes you can do that, but you'd promote robbing. Swings and roundabouts whether the risk is worth it. Weather is dreadful so the bees themselves will not want to leave the hive (they dont like wind and/or rain much) but would go for it if it's good sugar mix/honey. It could make the difference to them though.

And here are the BUTs.....pesky wasps would sense it and zoom straight in, although it's end of their season and their nests are dying off now. Also would attract bees from other colonies which would start on the outside food, then perhaps try to enter the hive and take what stores are in there.
And that's also how diseases between colonies are spread, so robbing is bad news.

Safest way is to use specific feeders inside, or as component of the hive itself (rapid feeders, Miller feeders etc etc). That way none of the nasty outside world can get to it.

Swings and roundabouts....
P17B

[Headfry]

Plot17B I might just have to chance it tonight? not ideal but starving bees

[Plot17B]

Plot17B I might just have to chance it tonight? not ideal but starving bees

looking at the weather over the next 2-3 days, I agree...don't wait....colder and wetter from tomorrow onwards......

get your syrup made up then go for a speedy eyeball and feed them no matter what I reckon. can you wang in your apistan tonight? if they are bit hungry, then more susceptible to the pesky viruses & other bugs...

best wishes for u & the girls. sure all will be fine. hugs

[Headfry]

Getting really nervous now. as its so awful here I will just lift super to see how heavy it is/or not
Then make a plan.... if no food stores I will put straight on top an empty super and a rapid feeder of food.
Help says headfry with furrowed brow and aching heart!

[Headfry]

phew..... went in last night! they still have some stores!
I got(made myself) a really bad headache through worry last night. Even felt to sick to eat my supper. I just love my girls and the thought of them starving was to upsetting.

I have a plan of work now, but the weather may change that.
I have been saving up for an extractor and have just put in the order!!!
Happy Headfry! need a few extra bits of kit but that is mostly me all kitted up! Just one more hive to buy and I am done!
That will make it 3 hives and all the basic kit so that I am self-reliant!

The Plan....
I will clear the super and take the little honey that is there. I will put in an eep and treat for Varroa
I will then put on an empty super and a rapid feeder and start feeding them!
That way I will know that they wont starve, and I can top the food up in a blink even in bad weather- without disturbing them at all really.
Thats the plan thus far.
Plot17b will this be an ok plan?

[Plot17B]

Hi, Great news the girls are not depleted. From the word around here, you one of the lucky ones. Yeah, go for the HF Plan of Action. Sounds good. Have you got fondant? It's already water-reduced so it saves them the effort of dehydrating syrup and building more wax, but if your colonies are still ok and not as "on the edge" as mine were, then I'm sure that'll be fine.

I couldn't get my girls to take the syrup through the excluder at first, so I eventually took it off and that worked. (I had nothing left to exclude after all!!). So watch out for that I guess.

I've got a second hive sat waiting...but with 3 on the lottie by early next year I've not got anywhere to expand to just yet. So you're in great shape with all the gear now. Lucky HF! :-) We ought to do a cross-border bee meeting sometime..... :-)

Great news the girls are good anyway.
Ltrs
P17B