A few years ago sugar dusting originally for me was a 
slow method with a small one handed sifter. Worked fine for six to eight 
colonies.

Then after I read Randy's article in ABJ early last year, I went to that 
method. Works mostly fine except for the occasional clump, which I 
crushed by hand or the hard side of the brush. At that time I was 
temporarily up to about 18 colonies. This year 40 colonies.

I have found that the sugar dust says under the colony. The bees do not 
retrieve any of the sugar. I've watched daily. Ants do the removal. 
Maybe during a time of an absent nectar source thee bees might, but I 
have not seen this. This spring I reset their concrete block foundations 
under most colonies in the home yard. There was still untouched, but 
mildewed sugar dust under the hives on the blocks and on the ground 
underneath. I have leaf mulch all around and under the hives, which sit 
eight or twelve inches higher than the mulch. The hives sit 4 inches above the bottom board in most cases.
I also plant lots of various thyme plants around the colonies--sort of a holistic, spiritual 
treatment. If I step on a plant, the bees fly to the scent.

If I am feeding them supplementary sugar solution and the internal 
bucket feeder leaks just slightly, I have seen the bees drinking the 
seepage coming out a corner of the hive. I add Honey-B-Healthy to this 
solution. With this they will fly to an empty clean bucket to the scent. 
The bees do not go under the hives for fallen sugar dust or anything 
else. Well, perhaps a few ill bees do, before they die. Birds clean up 
the yard of dead insects.

Now, currently, it seems that I will not be able to do anything to my 
colonies for quite a while. Ha! I guess that will be a real trial for 
the bees over the fall and winter. We'll see how many survive. I just 
cannot do any bee yard work of any kind because I have this nuisance 
Bell's Palsy. I cannot blink my dominant eye. My none-dominate eye is 
worthless my whole life.  Since I cannot blink the dominant eye, I won't 
dust, smoke, or do anything on my colonies. I wouldn't be able to see 
much, except blurs anyhow, because of the moisture ointments. After all 
this heals, then the bees will be getting super intensive care for 
while. For me the docs say about 30 days, maybe longer.

Haven't been to the out apiaries for a few weeks. These bees are 
supposed to be my upcoming retirement business in a few years.

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions.

Alf Bashore

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