Brian Tassey wrote
>avoid feeding in those months.  I know of others that will feed dry sugar for
>emergencies and the added moisture in syrup like you said seems reasonable to
>me.  Hopes this helps some
 
I was always told, "feed the bees in fall, not winter". One of the problems
of the bees is to render the water out of anything you feed them. If they
don't or can't because you fed them too late, then they are feeding on wet
stores. That's where the dysentry comes from, poor stores. Nosema will cause
fecal spotting, this will show, subject to the severity, as the occaisional
marks. Whereas dysentry will be running down the outside of the hive, if you
have top entrances it will be spread all round the hole. The cure, clean new
frames and boxes, proper strength sugar (2-1) not caramelised, just in case
Fumidil B.
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