Hello All,

Based on the discussions of winter stores, I have a very basic question
that I am almost embarrassed to ask.  If one takes to feeding bees sugar
for their winter stores, how much do you feed?  Although this seems
simple, I think there is a lot more to it than one realizes.  Obviously
this is very much location dependent.  In my area about 75 lbs. of honey
are needed for winter food.  This varies colony to colony and depends on
variables as to where the honey is located, how cold the winter is, how
often the cluster can break up during a warm spell, etc.  I do not
normally feed colonies for winter.  Right or wrong I leave them with
sufficient stores after the mid summer harvest and in most cases let
them keep the fall flow for added insurance.  Richard Taylor used and
wrote many times about doing exactly that.

Last year I and many other beekeepers in my region realized late in the
fall that winter stores were rapidly being depleted.  This was very
weather dependent in that we had a somewhat warm fall and the honey flow
stopped by mid July.  There were many beekeepers (myself included)
scrambling to get colonies fed.  I missed a major clue to the problem
that should have indicated trouble.  During the harvest the robbing was
unbelievable.  You could only harvest from one or two colonies before
you had to stop and then go to another yard and start all over.  The
harvest was one big "round robin" between yards.  Unloading supers into
the honey house was another task.

Anyway back to the question.  Assuming little or no stored honey how
much sugar should be fed?  In searching the archives there is a wide
array of suggestions ranging from "as much as they will take" to one
pound of sugar equals one pound of honey.  If one uses the recommended
2:1 sugar to water ratio it  tells me, for my area, I need approximately
5 gallons per colony, more if I don't get to the 2:1 ratio and I  don't
because of mixing issues.  In my case, that is well over a ton of sugar
and gallons and gallons of water.  This may be ok for someone with five
colonies in the back yard or the large operation that has syrup pumps
and huge tanks.  But for someone with 40 to 50 colonies scattered all
around the county I cannot see how this is feasible.  Last year I know I
did not use anywhere close to that amount of sugar.  Some colonies that
were the most distance got about 10 lbs of fondant, rechecked in late
winter and fed more if needed. (I have come to love fondant, for a
number of applications.)

I am very interested in the results of this question and also what
methods are used for feeding.  It would also be helpful if you mention
how much labor you expend, or at least the number of colonies you feed,
where you are located (how much feed for your area).  Simply put: What
and how much do you use  and how do you prepare it and then how do you
feed?  This could probably generate a number of discussions.  I think
this is good information for everyone.

One last request.  Let's not turn this topic into a debate on feeding
vs. not feeding,  sugar vs. honey or sugar in the honey.  I think those
horses are already dead and we should not beat them any more.

Ron Bogansky
Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA

PS.  For those of you that asked.  The wedding was great and all went
well.  The bees did not even mind being camouflaged while the photos
were being taken in the garden.

+

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