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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #9009  by NigelP
 25 Sep 2020, 16:57
Couldn't really give a definitive answer from North Yorkshire Patrick as too variable and weather/temp dependent. I know I'll still be feeding mid-late October.
I just started feeding the hives back from the moors this afternoon, blowing a gale, raining and cold and there were still white ghosts flying in. Had to be done today as working next three days and no time....girls were as good as gold didn't even blink when I removed their crown boards and added feeders, Perhaps because it was so cold..../wry grin/

What is amazing is how fast they can remove 5 litres from an Ashforth type feeder....literally 24 hours (or less) in many cases. Whereas the rapid 2.5 litre jobs can take a few days. I think this is probably due to the number of bees getting access to the syrup in an Ashforth is far greater then in a rapid/cone feeder.
 #9010  by Chrisbarlow
 25 Sep 2020, 17:00
Steve 1972 wrote:
25 Sep 2020, 16:54
My bees are in poly and some stop taking sugar syrup sooner than others..some go till late October but by then colonies are more than heavy enough..
That's really interesting, do you feed syrup up to the end of October? And your in the north east? I always try to be done by the end of September as I thought they wouldn't take any more after then. Clearly that's not the case
 #9011  by AdamD
 25 Sep 2020, 17:06
I try to get feeding done by about now - with a little more to mid-October. I do have some bought-in liquid feed this year that, so the container says, won't ferment so can go in last in case the bees don't get around to capping it.

I have some supers that need to be nadired (go under the brood box). I tend to do it around the end of September after the wasps have stopped being a nuisance.
 #9012  by AndrewLD
 25 Sep 2020, 17:21
As Nigel notes, the takedown from Ashforth type feeders is more rapid than from "rapid feeders" (I know them as English feeders??). On my hives the takedown has slowed with the change in the weather so I have put insulation on top of the feeder and this weekend will wrap the hives with insulating blankets ( closed cell foam) to help keep the temperature up. The worrying thought is that some will use contact feeders and think they are feeding their bees......
Only when the hives feel heavy will I stop feeding and if I am still not happy, I'll order in extra fondant, which in this instance would have to go on the frames at the appropriate time.
I'm late and the change in the weather has caught me out :(
 #9013  by Steve 1972
 25 Sep 2020, 17:57
Chrisbarlow wrote:
25 Sep 2020, 17:00
Steve 1972 wrote:
25 Sep 2020, 16:54
My bees are in poly and some stop taking sugar syrup sooner than others..some go till late October but by then colonies are more than heavy enough..
That's really interesting, do you feed syrup up to the end of October? And your in the north east? I always try to be done by the end of September as I thought they wouldn't take any more after then. Clearly that's not the case
Something i forgot to mention Chris is my feeders only hold 4.5L when brimmed and i can only fill them once per week..but yes some colonies still take it down into late October however by then i notice even the die hard's starting to slow down..once i feel a regular fresh nip in the air on a morning that is usually when it is time to remove the feeders...i have one colony that stopped taking it down after the second top up a couple of weeks back and from experience i know that colony is going to struggle and will most probably need fondant earlier than the other colonies..
 #9014  by NigelP
 25 Sep 2020, 19:01
And of course bees being bees, you end with some nice heavy colonies come October that are light by December. Italian blood me thinks...so despite adequate feeding you do get some that will need fondant....and IMHO it's better a colony is over fed than dead.
 #9015  by NigelP
 25 Sep 2020, 19:09
AndrewLD wrote:
25 Sep 2020, 17:21
On my hives the takedown has slowed with the change in the weather so I have put insulation on top of the feeder and this weekend will wrap the hives with insulating blankets ( closed cell foam) to help keep the temperature up.
Good reminder Andrew, often we forget to mention what hive types we are using. Me thinks it makes a difference. Mine are mostly poly hives so my observations may not apply to those using wooden hives who may need to get their feeding done a little earlier. An of course geography will apply as well/South coast weather vs Scotland..
 #9016  by Chrisbarlow
 25 Sep 2020, 19:30
Cheers Steve
 #9017  by Patrick
 25 Sep 2020, 19:50
Interesting range there. I made some Ashworths which do work well. I must say I do tend now to use the square plastic English feeders which take 6L when level. Mine of course aren’t. So brim full you are looking at around 5l. To my perpetual astonishment some emptied their first full feed in 24 hrs and then did it again with a second. They did slow down with a third mind. I sometimes use the 2.5l ones but it’s too much work to use on all hives when the bigger ones are available and they are less “rapid”.

I am nadiring with a couple of supers on each hive this year as I never took off my summer honey. I had hoped not to feed but they really hadn’t got enough so did anyway. Mix of wooden nationals and commercials, few double brood. We shall see what happens..
 #9018  by GASTRICK
 26 Sep 2020, 12:01
HI I HAVE A CONUNDRUM WITH ONE HIVE IT WAS GIVEN SYRUP BUT HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO TAKE ANY OVER THE LAST 2 WEEKS THEY HADE THREE EMPTY FRAMES TO FILL IN A SUPER THE REST WAS CAPED HONEY (BORAGE)AS IT WAS THERE FIRST SUMMER IN A NEW HIVE(ONLY FOUNDATION) IONLY TOOK ONE SUPER OF HONEY ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHY NO TAKE UP