On 3/12/2017 5:18 PM, Peter Edwards wrote:
> Their winter stores will be whatever they have in the (usually) single British National brood box, plus the 6kg of fondant.  We rarely have to top this up - only if there is a prolonged cold spring.
>

By coincidence I weighed the 6 hives in one of my apiaries today.  I
weighed them all on 12th Sept 2016, immediately after feeding for
winter. Then again on 2nd January 2017 and today on 12th March 2017.
The first measurements averaged at 12.8kg above the weight of woodwork
and empty combs. The second weighing averaged out at 10.2 kg and today's
was 8.35kg.  That means that if I ignore the changes in weight of the
bees and the changes in moisture in the woodwork they have consumed
around 4.45kg of stores.  I weighed 4 hives in another apiary yesterday
and got about the same results.  I get this every year regardless of
weather.  The only thing that seems to matter is the length of the
winter.  My bees are similar to Peter Edwards's but, being located on
much higher ground, my winters are longer.

Steve Rose
North Wales

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