Got an unpleasant start to the morning today- no activity at any of the hive entrances at 8 am which is unusual as there was no frost.
Im having another spot of bother with some neighbours again,so giving all the hives a tap with my knuckle and not hearing anything I expected the worst.
I opened the maisemore polynuc and the feeder was still 3/4 full from last week and no bees at the window.
Who has multiple autumn losses?
I started to open the top for a postmortem and was so relieved to hear them hissing.
A few then came up to the window and drank some condensation.
I scooped out the old syrup and replaced it with some warm that I'd just cooked.
They took to it straight away.
Happily all the colonies were out doing that swirly orientation thing by early afternoon and there was still some ivy getting a seeing -to,so panic over.
My query is have they technically stopped feeding and therefore I shouldn't be force feeding like that?
The other end of the spectrum is a cedar based colony with a green maisemore jumbo feeder which are still taking a litre a week despite having only 7 seams of stock.
All the boxes in the apiary are hefting like theyr'e glued down.
Im following the "feed as long as they take it" camp,but is there a more definate cut off point?
They only get warm syrup on the one day they are fed so if theyr'e not taking it cold then is this the stopping point?
Its my first winter and having inherited that spring loss earlier this year I'm a bit of a worrier just now....
Im having another spot of bother with some neighbours again,so giving all the hives a tap with my knuckle and not hearing anything I expected the worst.
I opened the maisemore polynuc and the feeder was still 3/4 full from last week and no bees at the window.
Who has multiple autumn losses?
I started to open the top for a postmortem and was so relieved to hear them hissing.
A few then came up to the window and drank some condensation.
I scooped out the old syrup and replaced it with some warm that I'd just cooked.
They took to it straight away.
Happily all the colonies were out doing that swirly orientation thing by early afternoon and there was still some ivy getting a seeing -to,so panic over.
My query is have they technically stopped feeding and therefore I shouldn't be force feeding like that?
The other end of the spectrum is a cedar based colony with a green maisemore jumbo feeder which are still taking a litre a week despite having only 7 seams of stock.
All the boxes in the apiary are hefting like theyr'e glued down.
Im following the "feed as long as they take it" camp,but is there a more definate cut off point?
They only get warm syrup on the one day they are fed so if theyr'e not taking it cold then is this the stopping point?
Its my first winter and having inherited that spring loss earlier this year I'm a bit of a worrier just now....