In article <[log in to unmask]>, Aaron Morris
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>George W Imirie asks, "why you do not feed "liquid sugar", syrup, in
>the winter?"
>
>I think this advice came from a northern subscriber.  In my parts (up-
>state New York, Lon ? lat ?, USDA Climate Zone 4) this is right on -
>sugar syrup at this time of year is a waste of time, money and effort.
>The bees simply won't take the syrup.  I'm sure the advice is different
>in kinder, gentler climates, such as those in Maryland.
>
>Aaron Morris - thinking bees in NY are not the same as bees in Hawaii!
 
 
I believe the poster who originally was challenge is actually English,
and although our climate in Scotland is a little harsher I can say that
I support his position on solid feeding. I think the only difference
with us is that we do not put it over a feed hole, just straight down on
top of the frames, and have never used bags of sugar, but there are many
other beekeepers who do feed by this method.
 
Our principle feedstuff is fondant, and we use syrup only rarely
nowadays. The fondant is easy and convenient to use and can be provided
in the required quantity at any time of the winter by simply placing the
cut bag (cut face down across the top bars) over the cluster. In
reasonably good conditions early in winter they take it down and store
it much as they would thick syrup, only slower, and in cold conditions
once the top of the cluster comes up to the top bars they continue on to
consume the fondant as if it were a continuation of their own natural
stores, straight from the block. We use about 12 to 15 tonnes of this
stuff every winter.
 
Syrup on the other hand has to have its storage completed by the bees
before the weather gets too cold, and thus does not have the time
flexibility of the fondant. In our part of Scotland a rule of thumb
would indicate that such feeding should ideally be completed by 15th
October if using hive top feeders or a week to 2 weeks later if using
frame or contact types. Too late and poorer weather can lead to waste of
the syrup in the feeder for several reasons. Unfortunately we run too
many hives to be able to have all the honey crop off (our heather crop
finishes around 7th Sept) and the bees all home to their wintering areas
by 15th October, far less have them all fed and put down to winter.
 
Fondant suits us, the bees like it, and it is not overly expensive. It
will however have fewer advantages in warmer areas than ours where bee
flight is available throughout a good deal of the winter months.
 
Even for the beekeeper who has ample time to get his bees fed well early
enough (the ideal situation to which we probably all aspire but all too
infrequently achieve) it would probably still be a fair enough idea to
keep a few boxes of fondant handy for emergencies.
 
Kind regards to all
--
Murray McGregor