Caught in the act in the bee yard this morning. Our friend, Paul, got this great candid shot of us feeding our honey bees today. It's over 60 degrees in the first week of November here in CT and the bees are flying so they need to eat!
We whipped up some sugar syrup and served it to them hot and fresh today. Why are we feeding the bees, you ask?
"It is important to supplement or stimulate a hive at various times of the year, to improve its viability. After the honey crop has been removed in the fall it is vital that the bees have sufficient food stores to carry them through winter into early spring, otherwise, they will starve, one of the biggest failures of a wintered hive."- BeeWorks.com
So the yellow things in the picture are our honey bee feeders and they are filled with a simply sugar syrup. We place them at the front entrance or inside and on top of the hive. The bees will empty the feeders pretty quickly and store the syrup just like they do their own honey. We'll continue to fill the feeders as long as the weather stays mild and the bees are taking the syrup.
Syrup in a hive feeder should be fed early enough the fall season for the bees to convert and seal off to be ready for winter. Bees need warmth to work and a reasonable daytime temperature is essential to allow them time to convert. With fall feeding it should be a lot of food in a short time. By feeding large amounts quickly any cells becoming empty in the upper super from late emerging brood will be filled, forcing the queen into the bottom box. The perfect position to start the winter.
Honey from The Martin Hives will be available for sale soon!
We whipped up some sugar syrup and served it to them hot and fresh today. Why are we feeding the bees, you ask?
"It is important to supplement or stimulate a hive at various times of the year, to improve its viability. After the honey crop has been removed in the fall it is vital that the bees have sufficient food stores to carry them through winter into early spring, otherwise, they will starve, one of the biggest failures of a wintered hive."- BeeWorks.com
So the yellow things in the picture are our honey bee feeders and they are filled with a simply sugar syrup. We place them at the front entrance or inside and on top of the hive. The bees will empty the feeders pretty quickly and store the syrup just like they do their own honey. We'll continue to fill the feeders as long as the weather stays mild and the bees are taking the syrup.
Syrup in a hive feeder should be fed early enough the fall season for the bees to convert and seal off to be ready for winter. Bees need warmth to work and a reasonable daytime temperature is essential to allow them time to convert. With fall feeding it should be a lot of food in a short time. By feeding large amounts quickly any cells becoming empty in the upper super from late emerging brood will be filled, forcing the queen into the bottom box. The perfect position to start the winter.
Honey from The Martin Hives will be available for sale soon!
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