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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]>
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Mon, 7 Apr 2003 18:21:06 EDT
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In the case of established colonies (now swarms) why should one feed at all
to get comb drawn?  If there is nectar coming in then bees at around 10 days
old will be producing wax anyway which they can either build into comb or
allow to fall to the hive floor and be wasted.  If there is no nectar coming
in there is no need for comb to be drawn.  There will be nothing but sugar to
put in it.

A commercial beekeeper who has to maximise his profits to satisfy his bank
manager will doubtless be in paroxysms of calculations as to the relative
prices of sugar/ honey/labour to do the feeding/ fuel to mix and get it there
and will act according to the answers he gets.  But I doubt whether he will
be a better economist than the bees who have spent millions of years learning
to get the balance right or die.  An amateur beekeeper can afford to relax
and enjoy the bees doing their own thing as the season progresses and
minimise unnecessary interference.

If Mr Beasley wants an accurate answer to his question and his doubts about
diluting honey with sugar he should add food dye to the syrup and see where
the colour turns up in the supers.

Chris

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