There are multiple methods available to you for feeding your bees during winter. One popular solution is a frame feeder. These devices fit inside a hive in lieu of frames and contain an inverted jar with sugar syrup; however, these tend to twist in their boxes, reduce capacity, and may result in drone or burr comb formation.
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Keeping food on the hive for maximum preparation for winter
Hives should contain enough honey in their frames for them to make it through winter and into spring, depending on climate conditions and size of hive. They typically need six-8 full frames of capped honey as a minimum requirement for survival.
Solid winter feeds such as candy boards, fondant or sugar bricks should be preferred over liquid feedings since liquid feedings may drip onto clustering bees in wintertime and cause them to dehydrate or starve.
At any rate, it’s vital that beekeepers check their hives frequently throughout winter while being careful not to open it too frequently – sudden temperature fluctuations could kill off all their bees! Furthermore, it would be prudent to weed wack or pull tall weeds around your apiary so mice do not use them as dens – keeping your bees healthy can only help. Finally, keeping rodents out is also key in aiding their survival over winter.
Keeping food on the hive for maximum brood build up
Bees need plenty of comb space in springtime to rear brood and store food, yet when warm temperatures and blooming flowers give way to weeks of snow or freezing temperatures that halt nectar flows, colonies may quickly exhaust their stored supplies and be at risk of starvation.
Beekeepers use various feeders to supplement sugar syrup or pollen patties as needed, including hive top feeders that sit atop their hives and hold buckets full of honey that bees can access through holes in their inner cover, as well as boardman feeders with removable tops which can be closed in case of wind damage.
Pail feeders are another popular solution, allowing bees access to sugar water through either an entrance hole in their outer cover or by climbing on top of an upturned bucket and peering over. They should only be used when your hive has at least some activity levels.
Keeping food on the hive for maximum preparation for summer dearth
Fall nectar dearth can put bee colonies at serious risk. By late Summer, bee populations reach their peak and require feeding regularly in order to raise healthy, robust brood for Winter; without fresh nectar arriving daily this can become very challenging.
Dearths can make bees anxious or restless, leading them to leave drone cells unoccupied and visit flowers they would normally shun, all the while further diminishing their stores of honey.
Beekeepers must prepare their hives for dearth by providing ample food supplies and space for honey stores to grow. Open feeding can lead to theft by robbers who steal syrup from struggling colonies; instead, internal feeders or an eke with screened ventilation ports is recommended as these sites often become frenzy feeding sites during an acute dearth.
Keeping food on the hive for maximum preparation for fall dearth
Dearth occurs when plant nectar production slows or stops altogether, placing increased demand on colony stores and making foraging bees reliant solely on their own hive for food sources. You may see signs of dearth such as bees hanging around their own hives for longer than usual or “washboarding,” where bees line up side-by-side to polish its entrance with their front legs.
If a dearth is anticipated, it’s wise to prepare sugar syrup ahead of time and store it. A quart of 1:1 sugar water can feed a medium-size colony for approximately a week; use this feeder method to administer the food into your hive: partly fill a clean container (jar or tin with push down ribs lid), punch 6-8 small holes in its lid, and place over 12mm high risers that fit over the queen excluder bars in your hive.
