Hello Peter & All,

 >Here we calculate one barrel for 10 hives for winter feeding and it
normally takes two fine days to empty the barrels!

We had to feed about the same here for this winter. Our group went through
two tanker loads. A couple gallons per hive is normal but the drought burned
up the fall flowers. I expect to see some sad faces next spring at our bee
meetings. Many hives will have starved in Missouri this winter if the hives
were not  given some supplimental feeding. Stored honey also  helps insulate
the bees from wind chill. We have got temps outside today in the 20 F. range
with wind blowing out of the north at 25-30 MPH. Might not see a day the
bees can break cluster for a long time. Those hives not properly prepared
for winter could be in trouble .

 > I wish l had a beekeeper like him close to my
yards!

He was a friendly and helpful fellow. He let us borrow  his MT feed drums to
use. We fed only the hives needing feed and used inside feeders.

The method used which others might find useful. A brilliant idea we came up
with! I had never heard of being used before.

My partner & I had sent two 2,000 lb. bags of scrap granulated sugar to
California on the back of a semi to feed with if needed. These bags (for
those which have never seen) are a huge tough bag with straps with which
they can be picked up with a fork lift or crane. In the bottom is a flap
which the sugar flows from when opened (If you have got a use for these type
of bags  please email as I have got a few I would part with).
Fructose is high in California. Around four cents a pound higher than in the
Midwest. So when the bees needed a feeding my partner and I flew to
California . We had a swinger forklift and pump in California but no drums
or way to liquefy the sugar. We borrowed the drums from the above beekeeper.
Rented a small U haul ( 19.95 day local use) to haul the drums and pump.

 We rented a hot water commercial pressure washer in Fresno ( approx.. $100
a day for one day). Poured the dry sugar in the barrels. Fired up the hot
water steam cleaner and shoved the wand into the barrel of granulated sugar.
Worked great! At the end of the day we steam cleaned the truck.
We almost got stuck in the sand of the bee fields with the U haul but always
got unstuck. We also had a brand new rental car in the fields with us.
Luckily we did not jump in the rental car with a hive tool in our back
pocket or spill syrup in the car!

Bob

" Again we proved the concerns of rental car companies & Uhaul to renting
vehicles to commercial beekeepers are unfounded"

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