A list member recently wrote
I think, in trying to summarize, for myself at least that what
I have heard is:
(1) Late winter syrup feeding is not the best way to
ensure survival. Fall feeding in order to provide adequate stores in
the is best.
True.
Dry sugar is the next best if needed. (I must say
though several persons stated that the bees "dilute" honey to a
50/50 honey/water mixture anyway before consuming and implied
that syrup could be fed any time. Conflicting information!
Hmmmm.....maybe this conflict is based on the location of the
bees.)
Yes, and the other management factors, such as hive ventillation,
winter temperatures, position of the cluster, wrapping, etc..
*Combs of honey* added to the hive are still the very *best* if you
want the bees to amount to anything in the spring. Candy boards are
also a very good solution that will work for almost everyone anywhere.
I have never heard of them failing if used right.
Dry sugar will often prevent *total* starvation, but is not the best
method in many (most?) situations.
Some people can make it work. But don't bet the ranch on
it until you've tried it on a limited scale and observed what works
*for you*.
It is an expert technique that can be a stop gap measure, but *in my
experience* it does not provide sufficient feed that bees can rear
brood in any amount. Weak hives have trouble with it too.
If it is fed on the inner cover, the bees have to be strong enough to
maintain heat to get it - and be close enough to it too. How much
can you get into the hive? Will it get all wet and then harden? How
much are you willing to waste?
In many areas - at some times of year - bees cannot use dry sugar.
There has to be enough excess moisture in the hive for the bees to
dissolve it. And it has to be warm enough for the bees to remain in
contact with it. Bees will often just throw it out the door if
conditions improve.
Sugar syrup - as a necessary evil - is in my experience, much
better than dry sugar, but remember it is dry and drafty out here in
this part of Alberta.
Fed in late February or March in shallow hive-top feeders, or
preferrably division board feeders near the cluster in an insulated
hive - if the weather co-operates, 67% syrup can work quite well,
however, feeding causes the bees to consume far more feed
than they would if they were just eating stores from the combs.
(2) Upper entrances (vents) are needed to allow moisture
buildup to escape. I think that from what you have offered, the
higher the vent in the hive the better. (i.e. vents in inner
cover rather than auger holes in the upper bodies)
Well, we have reached the conclusion that in our area, auger holes
are as good as higher entrances and better in some ways. But it is
dry and windy here in winter.
The unfortunate part of this is that, as questions are answered,
new ones take their place.
Can one have to much ventilation?
This is one of the reasons we favour auger holes at present. We are
in a dry, windy area.
What if the inner cover was modified to include screened openings and the telescoping cover
lifted 1/4" thereby allowing plenty of venting space at the very
top of the hive?
Many people have played with this. Basically, if the bees can see
light, they will worry themselves at a screen trying to reach it.
Otherwise, no problem.
Some space above the top bars is important to allow bees to move back
and forth. However too much will cause the bees to cluster there
instead of on the frames in the spring, resulting in burr comb and
possible less brood.
You *can* overdo ventillation. Basically, a 3/4 square inch hole is
enough. Simplest is best? Remember bees do need *some* humidity to
raise brood without stress. The centre of the brood area is
deliberately kept quite humid.
However there have been designs that may offer some small benefits.
There was a design from Ontario where a hole in an inner cover was
connected by a tunnel to the front of the hive, so the vent was above
the cluster, and less light came in. I tried it and it was good, but
made no noticeable difference in eventual results.
Would this increase or decrease survivability?
Would it increase or decrease evaporation of water and conversion
into honey during honey flows?
I think that this was at least partially covered in recent
discussions and during the summer. It is a perennial topic that
merits continued examination.
New hive ventillation designs are always being developed. Many
claim amazing results in wintering, honey production, etc.
I hate to admit it, but a lot of my hive ventillation is accidental
(Knot holes, gunshot holes, lids blown off, wood peckers at the
handholes, hives knocked off their bases by cows, hives lying on
their sides, etc.) It doesn't seem to improve my results ;)
But then maybe I'm not doing it right.
David Eyre has intimated some time back that he has a
new hive ventillation design; perhaps if we ask, he will explain it?
I would imagine that the details would interest the list.
BTW if you would like to take another look at previous discussions
here, they are available at one of my websites. Some are stored there
and some are at sunsite - courtesy Adam F, but the links are reached
through the URL in my sig below.
They are also available any time at [log in to unmask], by
email. Simply send an email saying
get bee-l log9512
'95' means 1995. '12' is Decemeber.
July 1995 would be
get bee-l log9507
You can get up to 5 logs at a time. They will come as separate email
messages some time later.
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The advice on this list comes from far and wide, from the
practical beekeeper and the academic, from the oldtimer and the
relative newcomer. None has the monopoly on truth.
Those who manage to stay in this business are those who have
management techniques that - while they may not be the *best* in any
particular year - do not result in *total* losses in any one year.
I hope that my comments here are constructive. My main message is:
Try it. Observe carefully. Try it again a different time. Observe.
And visit your neighbour - see what he has been doing for the last 20
years in *your area*.
Regards
Allen
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Internet:[log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, Art, & Futures <http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka>
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