Hi Rett.
 
Nice to hear you are getting going with the bees.  You have the right idea
, yet there are 2 possible difficulties with your feeding plan --
 
First, the syrup is not right "at" the cluster.  The bees will have to
crawl way up to the syrup, and then back down, which is something they will
be reluctant to do anytime the temp. is not around 60 degrees, or above.
That means they will probably not get the feed during cool days and at
night.  With the inverted feeder (with holes or screen in the lid) the
syrup is right *at* the edge of the cluster and they will take the syrup
continuously.
 
Then, also, there is the risk of lots of bees getting bogged down in the
syrup if you feed it with an open-top container.  They will manage okay if
there is plenty of floating surface for them to stand on, but you are bound
to lose a few that fall in. What you could do is take a piece of screen
(window screen or whatever) and stick it into the container so it touches
bottom and slopes up over the opposite side of the container.  Then the
bees can line up on the screen & use it as a ladder, and you won't lose
many.
 
A bee colony clusters pretty tight below ~ 57 degrees F., and so the temp.
is the main consideration.  Once clustered they will not venture very far
to get the syrup.
 
One easy way to feed is to just take a mayonnaise (or gallon) glass jar,
fill it with sugar water, poke a dozen or so small nail-tip holes in the
lid, cap it tight, and invert it over a pair of pencils or sticks over the
inner-cover hole.  This will keep them fed for a couple of days at least,
after which time you can just replace the jar with a full one, alternating
back and forth between 2 jars.  Just make sure the lid-puncture-holes of
the jar are not plugged with wax or propolis each time you replace the
feeder.  Sometimes the bees like to plug them up, especially if the jar
becomes empty.
 
The switching of jars is easy and quick (no need to suit up & use smoker),
and you can just set the empty jar near the front of the hive so the bees
which are on it can go back in.
 
I hope everything goes well with your new bees.
 
best wishes,
 
J. Govostes       Freeville, NY
 
>I am getting ready to install my first packages (2) of bees this coming
>Saturday (I'm very excited and nervous).  I know that I need to feed
>them plenty of syrup until our first flow.  I am planning on just
>sitting a bucket of syrup on the inner cover with a super and top cover
>over it.  I plan to put some sticks or something in the bucket for the
>bees to land on.  I have heard of drilling a bunch of little holes in a
>bucket lid then inverting it, but I cant see any reason not to do what I
>previously described.  Could someone please tell me if my method will
>work or am I missing the boat completely?
>
>Thanks for your time
>A rookie in Utah
>Rett Thorpe