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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 8 May 2001 16:51:41 EDT
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Hello Bonnie,
What makes you think that feeding bees will make them swarm.  The two things 
are not connected..

Bees will NOT (for any reason whatsoever) draw foundation into comb unless 
they have a need for it RIGHT NOW (not next month).  A cell for a queen to 
lay in, and a place to store food are the only two reasons bees build comb.  
But bees consume 8 pounds of honey to get the energy to produce and build 
just one pound of wax; and hence they MUST have food (sugar syrup or nectar) 
to build comb.  They can't collect nectar all the time, because there are 
periods of dearth all through the year depending on what state you are in.  
For example, in central Maryland, there is NO nectar or very little in June 
and July.

Bees will swarm if they run out of storage space for nectar, and if they do, 
that is certainly not the fault of the bees, but rather, it is 100% 
beekeeper's fault in failing to properly manage his bees.  The same thing is 
true about baking a cake.  If the recipe says bake at 350° for 30 minute and 
you bake it at 350° for 45 minutes and the cake is burned, that is not the 
fault of the oven, but your fault.

When I start a new colony in April or May from a swarm, a package, or a split 
using only foundation, I want them to have 20 deep frames or 30 medium frame 
of drawn comb by Labor Day so that there is a place to store the fall 
goldenrod crop for winter use.  Hence, my new hives are CONTINUOUSLY FED 
sugar syrup from their start in April or May to September and this makes big 
strong colonies ready for our major nectar flow during next year's April and 
May.

You might consult one of my url's to see my PINK PAGES to learn more.  They 
are:

www.beekeeper.org/george_imirie/index.html                                  
and/or
www.cybertours.com/~midnitebee/                              click on bee 
articles

I hope that I have helped.

George Imirie 

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