Aaron Morris wrote:

> Unless one "needs" to jump start their bees (for instance to make splits or
> to have large populations to meet pollination contracts), feeding bees is
> probably not necessary in the Northeast, and in fact may be counter
> productive.

I add candy over the cluster every year. It is not feeding in the
classic sense but insurance against starvation. The main problem we run
into here in Maine is you can lose a colony in March/April through
starvation, even if there is plenty of honey in the hive and maples are
blooming. The reason is a sharp and long cold snap. The bees will
cluster around the brood and can starve even though honey is just inches
away to the right or left. By having candy right over the cluster, they
do not have to move since they are in contact with it.

I learned to use candy after looking at my healthy, bursting with bees
hives and went to DC for a wedding. Came back and one colony starved and
another was near starvation after only one week, just because of a
sudden and week-long cold snap.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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