In a message dated 96-06-06 19:27:59 EDT, [log in to unmask] (Allen Dick)
writes:
>> My mentor approved of my general "leave things alone" policy, but
>> said if I really wanted a good crop to feed some of the sugar early
>> to get the hives built up. This seemed extravagant to me, but I put
>> feeders on three hives, leaving the other three alone.
>>
>> As you may guess, the cold weather followed, and now that the
>> season's on, the three hives that I didn't feed are going great, but
>> the others have only a few bees.
>
>This makes no sense to me and there must be more to this than meets
>the eye.
>
>Feeding sugar syrup correctly in the early part of the build up
>period should not be particularly harmful, and should be beneficial
>-- cold weather or not. Maybe there was too much moisture in the
>syrup?
>
>Correct ratios, good water, proper feeders, etc. are necessary, but I
>just can't imagine what happened here.
>
>I wonder what it was about these three hives that singled them out
>for feeding?
I suspect that the feeding was too skimpy. A lot of beekeepers give a hive
a quart of syrup, and consider them fed.
This may have stimulated the queen, causing more consumption of feed, as
more brood is raised.
Early feeding commits one to continued feeding, unless the early feeding
is sufficiently heavy. A hive cannot be considered "fed" unless it's had a
couple gallons of syrup during that spring buildup.
I like to feed frames of honey along with the syrup, if the bees are
already light, because of the stimulative effect. The honey is instantaly
available even in extreme cold as well.
Another possibility, if the cold was extreme, and the bees way overextended
on brood rearing was chilled brood. That would set a hive back severely.
[log in to unmask] Dave Green, PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC
29554
Practical Pollination Home Page Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
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