So sorry, I wanted to say thank you for putting this information out for the ones who are seeking knowledge. I am going to seek out more of your videos!
I would like to see a video of how the bees get syrup from the can. Is there a hole in the bottom of the can? If so, what stops the syrup from draining out onto the hive below?
Good info about types of feeders and I like how Keith explains the natural action of bees not wanting to break cluster in order to feed. The video showed me how to alter my current method of using quart jar feeders over the inner cover hole. I just need to remove my jars from their 1/2" stand-offs and set the jars right over the slot.
I have Watched Hundreds of Clips & I Still Learn a Point or two, You Mentioned about Corn Syrup, I did Notice last yr that They Dont Favor it by Choice, and TY for the Info of Which Feeder, I dont Like the Inside Feeder they Always Drawn in it, Can is the Best, Last Year I had them Make Combs inside Upside Down Empty Glass Jar which I treasured it ! And TY SO MUCH , One thing I may Suggest , Do MORE CLOSE UP instead of Distance Filming by 99% Cause if Some of Us that Like Your Clips Want to FEEL closer to Your HIVE & What You Do with Your Hands & See the BEES & How they Are Clustered etc. GREAT JOB ! Vic.
Great video on the feeders... Thank you. I'm at the information gathering phase before I get started with my beekeeping and really appreciate all of your knowledge and your presentation of it. You mentioned in another video about possibly doing an Inner Cover video which I'd really like to see. Every body just yanks them off the Hive and goes about their business of a video. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
I know this is an old video but I have a question. The feeder that you like the best for the top how do you keep the syrup from coming out when you turn it up side down to cover the hole. I cannot tell what you have as a lid so that it wont spill but the bees can get the honey out. Sorry newbie here. Also my first package comes March 18th. Could I use this feeder instead of the entrance feeder?
@@ironsticksportinggoodsllc2417 Thank you for your response! I have another question - can a mason jar & lid be used the same way? I am getting my 1st nuc today!
A year ago I melted the wax from honey frames cappings and the residual honey which became black I threw it in the garden. One of my hive started foraging those remains and soon I found in that hive around 4-5 frames of honey extremely black. The hive wintered ok, no problem.
Best way to feed bees quickly is to put a feeder shim on and use one gallon freezer bags. Fill part way, lay on hive, slice slits with razor knife. Come back in two days and it's gone. You can fit two bags on a ten frame hive. If your syrup is warm is better.
Wow great video and very informative, thanks for sharing. My question for you is where are you getting your cans, how do you fill them and seal them, how many holes are recommended and what technique are you using for the holes?
They are just quart paint cans (never used) and I get them for free from Sherwin-Williams, where I buy the paint for the hives. The lids come off with a screwdriver or other prying tool and I recommend 4-5 very small holes. You can use bigger cans, there are pros and cons. Hope this helps.
I've got a frame hanger. It's a pita to use. Really if you're leaning frames against their own hive and a queen wanders off you either find a ball of bees herding her back or she flies home. The queen orients. Ever move one and have her fly back to the mating nuc? I had one do it 4 times.
Thanks for the great video. Do you put your top board upside down to still allow for ventilation? Sorry, I may have missed something but I couldn't find/see where your vent hole was using this method.
Hi there. Yes, I always provide some method for ventilation when I have to feed syrup. In this case, the vent hole is a groove cut into one side of the inner cover, which I usually have in that position for winter anyway to provide ventilation that runs along the back side of the hive rather than through the middle of the cluster. In summer, I flip it over to provide ventilation through the center of the cluster. Hope that makes sense!
@@honeybeehoney6132 Hi. Thanks so much for this video!! I've learned a lot from this and your robbers video today! I'm a SMALL keeper and just got a new swarm w no food. And the weather here in LAKEWOOD (co :-)) as spring arrives (or fall) can be a challenge (but beautiful) , we've had some cold cloudy days. Am thinking I could put in a feeder like you suggest. Love this option! BUT after reading this post, I'm not sure my inner cover has a vent hole... Would it be a problem to put syrup in now w/o it? I'll look through your other videos for info about that. Do we need to worry about condensation here? So much to learn! I hope all in well in your world!
Due to climate change, we usually have high (85%) extreme precipitation in a northern climate. Like you said, other feeding methods do encourage robbing. The top feeding can blocks the vent while adding more moisture. Would you recommend cutting additional top venting to compensate? I always place a small spacer under the front of the top cover to promote ventilation. Loved your video. Thank You
Thanks for the information, very good video. Im thinking about getting into bee keeping as a second source of money in the summer months and as a good hobby. One quick question for the new guy though, would it be possible to have more hives that are not rented out to produce honey for the hives that would need food during the winter?
I am sorry if I am sounding dense, but, you just put the can with a few holes in the bottom, over the normal slit in the inner cover? or are you expanding or modifying the inner cover? How many holes in the bottom of the can? I have ordered my packages and very excited but nervous about getting started here in Northern Az, I find your videos so helpful and thanks so much. One last question, although off subject, do you have a video on picking foundation. Most folks talk about using wax foundation but now I am reading that it is all contaminated? Right when I know what I am getting,,,something I read changes my mind. So COnfusing! Thanks again for your time and help. Take care.
Hi Dareth: Yes, I just put a few holes in the lid of the can and turned it upside down without altering the inner cover (though I would suggest you use an inner cover that has an upper entrance, or vent). This is to be contrasted with using other types of feeders that I think are less effective, efficient and in some cases ineffective. Foundation is a hot topic. When beekeepers were told to use chemical varroacides in their hives (no longer recommended in most cases) beeswax became contaminated. Since its use has sharply declined in favor of organic approaches to varroa treatment (mechanical, formic or oxalic acid) beeswax is much less contaminated. The bottom line is that the miniscule amount of any toxin in a reputable maker of foundation is not significant. Keep in mind that the foundation only accounts for a small portion of the finished comb. In reality, honey comb is contaminated by either chemicals introduced into the hive by the beekeeper, environmental contaminants from people (pesticides, herbicides, etc.), or biological contaminants such as American Foulbrood, etc. This is why beekeepers should practice IPM practices, in particular comb replacement at regular intervals, usually recommended every five years. Hope this helps!
You explanatory was superb EXCEPT for one part: you didn't provide any close ups of the punctured lids of the cans, so that we could get a good idea of proper size. Would the can method not also drown bees, allowing the syrup to just continue to drip down into the hive, onto the frames, drowning brood, polluting pollen/bread stores, etc? I'm not quite understanding the dichotomy between the first method you said drowned bees, and the can method, which seems to me, to be exactly the same. Pertaining to the Frame Feeder, could not a 'floating lattice' device be put on top of the syrup, allowing the bees to stand on it, drinking through the lattice holes, while remaining safe? Thank you for your time.
Once again I love your instructional videos. I am now using your technique of using a can on top of the inner cover. With your technique I have noticed the little ventilation hole on the back side of the inert cover is no longer protected by the telescoping lid. Is it possible that the queen can escape out that hole or have outside invaders find their way in much easier? Have you experienced any problems with the hole being exposed? Do you happen to have an email that would be easier to correspond with you?
well Im sold on your feeding method. I had a tray top feeder and it starting leaking through a knothole on side and I saw some robbing going on. So taking them out and putting in Mason jars like you have that can. I think I will custom drill a hole in floor of top cover over bees for the upside down Mason jar lid. So it would actually go down an inch. I will get it tight so no bees will be able to get in upper box with mason jar. thanks!!
Have you ever tried the rapid feeder style? I use it in winter and spring, and although they need to break cluster is really easy to use, to refill and bees never drown.
Honey Bee Honey here in Europe or at least in Portugal we use a feeder like this www.timberbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Alimentador-1Kg.jpg and I have great results with it, never have a drowned bee, and when you need to fill the feeder you never mess with the bees because you have a perforated inner cover that let the feed in, but the bees will not get out.
Hi! Thank you SO much for all of your videos, really appreciate them as a new bee keeper! I have a question for you, I had heard that the bees do not make honey out of the syrup I feed them but I took a little local class and they said that they DO make honey from their sugar syrup! Which is it? I don't want my honey made from the sugar syrup I feed them. Thanks a zillion!
The act of making honey from the bee's perspective is quite subtle. When a honey bee gathers nectar from a plant they deposit it into a honey stomach (which is not a digestive organ). In the honey stomach the honey bee body adds enzymes to the nectar during transport. Those enzymes are what transforms nectar into honey. When that nectar (with added enzymes) is transferred into a cell, over time those enzymes change the chemical structure of the nectar into honey. The enzymes remain alive in the honey, fyi. Over time, the colony evaporates moisture out of the nectar/honey until it is below 17% water, at which time they cap that cell with an impermeable wax cap. It is now honey in its final state. The process of removing sugar syrup from the feeder is the same as the process for removing nectar from a flower. They have to transport it in their honey stomach, therefore, sugar syrup is transformed by these enzymes. It is not true honey however, because it was cane sugar rather than nectar, but it does resemble honey. The transport time is less, so there is likely less enzymatic action taking place, but I don't have research to back that up. The bottom line is that when you have honey supers on, you don't ever want to feed sugar syrup. Feeding syrup is used as an emergency feed to keep the bees alive, or to stimulate the colony to grow in the spring (or any time of year, but to weak hives). Once there is a strong nectar flow, feeding sugar syrup should cease (and in many cases the bees quit taking it anyway in lieu of nectar). Hope that helps.
I m brand new one hive to my name. I bought a brushy mountain hive top feeder and I like it. But you make some excellant points. I think feeding withs cans is better like you say. You didnt show how to setup the holes in the can. How does it drain only what tbey need and not nust dump all of the syrup out. Also you are covering up the vent hole. I over wi ter in Michigan moisture is a problem. Maybe drill another vent hole. What do you think.....thanks Mike
Hi Mike. Earlier in the video I show you the vent hole. The hole in the center of the inner cover is actually a bee escape hole, which is a way to remove bees from the supers. Just google bee escape and you'll see what I mean. My inner covers have half circle shape holes, or rectangular cuts on one side of the inner cover. This is the actual vent. If you look up inner covers you will see that some of them have these vents and some don't. When I feed, I turn the inner cover over so that the deep side is facing the hive and the vent goes out of the back of the hive. When you put the telescoping cover over the inner cover, just slide the lid all the way to the rear so that the vent is opened.
Excellent video. I have tried the mason jar feeder with a hive top which I like the best, but it tends to leak. I have about 5 small holes but it still tends to leak out over the bee's. Do you have the same problem?
+David Koch The only time I get a leak is when the hive dies and during times of different barometric pressure drops, though if the bees are still alive it almost isn't even noticeable. The holes I put in my cans are very small, just the tip of a small nail, maybe 1/64" I've never used the mason jar though. It may be possible that if it was used before and sealed, the seal may be faulty, so pick up a new lid (less than a dollar) and try that. Thanks for the feedback!
I have 15+ frames of full honey from a hive I lost this winter. When I install a new queen & 3 lbs of bees, do you think I could be successful with a full super of honey on top of the deep w/ the new bees, or will that be too much space for them to keep warm. I am in central Wisconsin. Thanks for the advice!
No that would be fine. There is an optimal amount of space for a hive of a certain size, but if they can guard the hive and it is full of honey that won't be a problem. Empty comb and a hive that can't clean it effectively will attract pests, however, but combs of capped honey are so acidic that pests aren't a problem in those cases.
The new way to stop bees drowning in hivetop feeders is to put the neck of a sock onto the part where the bees go down to get syrup and no more dead bees!!
Wondering what the temperture is outside? Have you ever just added an extra super in spring with capped honey in frames for them to feed on after a long winter?
Temperatures in winter are usually cold at night, teens to 20's and warm during the day. Our temperature swings are incredible. However, it can get very cold here as well. Once during a two week period in December the high was -13 Fahrenheit.
Whould you not have a condensation problem due to covering the only vent hole? I always thought ventilation is more important in winter than summer. You would also be adding a lot of water in the syrup.
I'm not covering the only vent hole - there is one in the back of the inner cover. Ventilation is just as important in the winter than in the summer, but in a different way. Condensation left in the hive will cool down the cluster when it drips on them and comes with bacteria and fungus that can hurt the hive. However, all of my hives have an opening in the inner cover through which I use ventilation to carry off the moisture from the syrup. The syrup is anywhere from a 2:1 to 5:1 ratio of sugar:water, precisely so that they can immediately use and it if they store it there is less work involved in dehydrating it. Hope this helps.
I fill a 5 gallon bucket with sugar, just leave a little room at the top, maybe an inch or so. Then get a gallon jar with real nice and hot water, add it and stir it with a big wooden spoon until you have syrup. It does take a little while, fifteen minutes or so.
I didnt see where you show the holes in the bottom of your feed can. If you use a mason jar how many holes do you punch in lid and and how big are the holes you put in lid? --thanks!
Don't put any holes in the bottom of the can. It's atmospheric pressure that keeps the liquid in the can, so just put about four to six very small holes in the lid, turn it upside down and let the bees drink from it.
Oh ok...I will be using Mason jars with lids. I was going to use finish nail to put 4 small holes in the lid. I pre cut hole in top of sleeve on bottom above brood box to where jar will fit in hole and no bees will be able to get into empty box. right?
Sounds right. I just use a small nail, but the holes shouldn't be any larger than about 1/32". You don't want any bees in the empty super, but if your setup is anything like mine, it's so that the bees don't die. If the lid is down and only the bees in the hive can reach it you won't have a problem with robbing. One of the reasons I use the paint cans is because the lid is recessed about 3/16" from the rim of the can which gives the bees a little room to get close to the holes, from whatever it is sitting on if that makes any sense.
I'm starting a brand new hive for the first time (in Canada, no flowers yet) do I need a pollen patty. My partner thinks we don't because there seems to be tree pollen in the air.
The best way to tell is to just give them some and see if they take it. My school of thought is that it isn't needed in most cases if you have natural pollen coming in. Sorry my answer wasn't timely! Thanks for writing though!
I bought what I think you are calling a frame feeder. It has little ladders for them to climb down in to eat. Wouldn't that keep them from drowning? I am brand new to this and am trying to gather all the information I can.
Theoretically, yes. However, it is crucial when you are refilling that you don't drown the bees and any hive movement can cause the equivalent of a tidal wave for the bees that are lapping up the syrup. How do you like it?
I left it in until a few days after our monsoon of about 3 weeks of constant rain. After I took it out I found 1 dead bee in it. Before I put it in they were starving out and I probably lost 1/3 of my hive. So I think this may have saved my bees. I had what must have been a couple thousand bees that died before I put it in. I didn't count them but there were a lot.
Great video ! ! ! 👍 You said that you can make a sugar syrup with a 5:1 ratio. How do you keep the syrup from crystallizing at ratio stronger than 2:1? Is there a trick?
Terry Serson If I remember correctly in his videos about feeding a hive in trouble thru winter he said 3.... But it was in passing. I'm not a bee keeper. At best just a passive observer right now. I don't know anything about their care. However he I think it was in the second or third videos of that series when he talks about feeding thicker 5 to 1 stirrup when he uses something to clear the holes that he mentioned 3 holes... Not that I'm an expert but I would think it should be match to your hives ability to capture the stirrup dripping. Larger hives might mean more it is collected faster. If it was me I'd start slow so they get the idea. It should have a fair amount of time to drip through. He seemed to only change the can once a week. Hope I'm helping but if I were you I'd watch those 4 videos. Cause you get to see the effect.
I can't tell from the video. Is the can capped on both ends? How does the syrup not run out when holes are punched in? How big are the holes? I'm interested in this method, but I have too many questions and am nervous about attempting it.
My question comes to you from "the idiots guide to beekeeping". You explained the quart can feeder you like to use but, my question is, there are pin holes in the can , right? And what size holes does it matter?
There are pin holes in the lid only, and they are no more than 1/32", just the tip of a small nail like you would use in a frame. Four to six holes are usually sufficient.
I saw a video that proved that the amounts are the same whether you measure by weight or volume. A pint of water weights 2 pounds and is equal to 2 cups volume. A pint of sugar weights 2 pounds and is equal to 2 cups volume.
You mentioned you have a specific hive specification. Do you have them specially built for you? If so is it possible to mail me the specifications i could hand a cabinet maker here in Australia?
I use hive bodies and frames from Walter T. Kelley. I used to use Mann Lake Ltd hive bodies and Walter T. Kelley frames, but Mann Lake changed their hive body specs, and now are too deep for those frames. If you need the exact specs, I can measure them and let you know. However, judging by photos and videos that originate in the UK and Australia, you may not have the same problem that we do here. Measure the space in the following places and make sure they are between 5/16" and 7/16" (I don't know the metric equivalent): the space between; the bottom of the bottom bar of the top hive body and the top of the top bar on the bottom hive body, the space between the edge of the frame and hive body (end bar where the wires are) and the space between the edge of the top bar and the inside of the hive body (frames 1 and 10). As long as that bee space is adhered to you won't have to worry about comb build-up between hive bodies or bees propolizing the frames to the sides of the hive bodies. But, if the space is less than 5/16" the bees will propolize the space; and if it is larger than 7/16" they will fill it with burr comb.
@@honeybeehoney6132 Great looking hives. Thanks for the measurements. I didn't know Mann Lake changed their measurements. Who would you recommend for buying nucs?
A neighbor gave me an 80 lb steel can of honey that they don't want. The honey has turned dark and crystallized. Is it OK to thin it down and feed to my bees instead of sugar syrup?
You should never feed honey, especially when the process of extracting honey isn't known. If the honey turned dark, it is usually because of overheating. Overheating honey causes an acid to form that is toxic to bees. So, no I definitely would not feed it to the bees. However, using a low temperature form of passive heating, or mildly active heating can re-liquefy the honey and you can bottle it and sell it or use it yourself.
I live in Illinois and winters are capricious, so my question would be;could I make the brood box and the super of 2 inch tick pine? wold it make any difference for winter?
Don't do it. You'll end up using yellow pine and it rots no matter what you do. It will rot right under fresh paint. I'm in champaign, IL. You really don't need to wrap hives imo. What I do is lay a piece of builders foam on top of outer cover. I don't use inner covers. I put a feeder shim on top (under the cover) with a 3/4 inch hole bored in the front. In spring when they build comb in the shim that's the signal to put excluder and supers on. I put pollen patties on in march.
No. I find the best cans are from paint stores. The new cans all are lined with a coating so they rust much slower and last longer. But, you can use glass mason jars if you would like. I personally don't like plastic, but I'm sure it is probably fine as well.
I like the idea of the metal cans. Like you stated in the video, they will hold the heat better than plastic...Glass, I don't trust my self not to drop and break near or in the hive. Mason jars can put up with a lot...but I'm a clutz...If it can break in a bad spot, I will be the one to do it. Thanks for the response, just ordered my first package; getting excited for my first season!
I guess I feel this way. If there is a dearth and you have not put on honey supers yet, then it depends on the hive. They may be strong, but if they have little reserves, i.e. capped honey cells, go ahead and feed. If this is early in the spring, after a honey flow, the bees will pour resources as they are coming in to produce more bees. Then, e.g. a killing frost comes and the nectar stops flowing, the bees have already made their investment and you will observe very little honey left in cells that are capped. It is important to feed then. However, if the dearth comes at expected times, strong hives will have already gathered their winter supply, so long as you don't take it from them. The bottom line for me is to feed when the bees are in short supply, but not just to feed because you can. Only give them sugar syrup when they are going to need more before spring, or when they are building up. The exception is the case above in which the weather does something unpredictable and this causes a change in nectar flows. If nectar is flowing, bees will usually stop taking syrup and concentrate on foraging.
Of course. The liquid feeder is only for hives that are in danger of starving. If you have a spare super than you can use it. You can also add frames to a hive that is low on food stores.
have you ever used the method where people make a sugar syrup and pour it in a frame then harden it and it's basically a frame containing a block of sugar. thoughts on that?
No, I have never tried that. My concern would be whether or not the hardened candy is something that can be mixed with pollen to create bee bread for pre-pupae brood. But it is definitely worth trying, I've never thought of it. Basically, fondant poured into a pulled comb, right?
Why not put a mason jar of honey? Even if you dikute it to the consistency of syrup? Wouldnt that be better than processed sugar? I never see anyone try...
Honey, depending on the way it is processed can be bad for the bees. Once it is heated to a certain temperature, there is a chemical change that results in an acid that makes bees sick. The only way this is recommended is if you extract the honey yourself, use absolutely no heat in the process and the honey is still liquid. Over time, real honey will granulate and become unavailable for the bees to draw out of the jar.
So, my honey from last year had absolutely no heat whatsoever. I just uncapped with a prickly roller and extracted it. So, Would I need to dilute with water so it would flow a little?
Hopefully you've gotten better at the volume thing. I absolutely hate turning up the volume so I can hear only to have me ear drums blown out 30 seconds later
I have had horrible issues with ants in the past, I solved my issue by installing my hive atop 2 4x4 posts concreted into the ground vertically with 2x6 joists space for the hive to rest on. Having only 2 points of contact with the ground makes battling ants easier. I painted a stripe of roofing adhesive around the bases of each post that the ants will not cross (and get stuck in if they do)
candler, n.c. blueridge mts. good vid, and I think the same way you do, got my nucs in and have put my sec, brood chamber on them, letting them make there own combs, worked good in first brood, hope ta see the same in the sec. will know in a few days. thanks for your vids, and hope mine do as good as I see yours is. wish you and yours the best in life.(y) .
+Michael Moore Thanks for the good wishes! I just had an AFB scare, but kept it confined to the original hive and took care of the problem. Other than that, all my hives seem to be thriving! Hope yours do great too! Watch for the AFB video.
No. Whenever you are feeding liquids the excess moisture has to get out of the hive or it can cause problems. My inner covers are turned over so that the vent is against the hive body whenever I feed.
love your videos very informative. however could you please manage your audio better. at one point in the video you have e a voice over that is a whisper compared the normal audio.
Well, I'm pretty picky about my equipment especially in maintaining proper bee space. I personally like the bottom boards (ventilated heavy duty) from Kelley as well as hive bodies and frames from Kelley. In my videos you may also see hive bodies from Mann Lake, though I have went back to Kelley because ML changed their equipment and is now 1/8" deeper than before with larger handholds and the bee space is wrong for my frames. Inner covers are usually purchased from Rossman - but they have also gone the way of cheaper and no longer have actual solid wood inner covers, they have substitued plywood so I will no longer be purchasing inner covers from there. I haven't yet found a substitute and am considering making my own. Plywood does no last in a beehive. Lids are also different. If I am buying a normal flat lid I go with Kelley. However, if I want a more decorative lid I go with an expensive one from Ruhl bee supply aptly named an English Style cover. Probably a longer answer than you were hoping for, but I don't want to leave you hanging!
When I was working at a hardware store A customer came in looking at the peep feeders, he told me he was trying to find something to feed his bees but was afraid they would drown in the feeders designed for peeps. We talked for a bit and I suggested that maybe he try taking a soda bottle and poking pin holes through it. then put the bottle in a sock turned inside out, or wrapped in a towel like fabric with hair like fibers. that way the cloth could hold the liquid to it and the bees can land a suck on it..without fear of drowning. He loved the idea and left without buying anything..but I never seen him again so I don't know if it worked. If anyone of you bee guys get a chance, could you tell me if it sounds like a decent idea?. I dont raise bees so im not sure of the exact thickness of said liquids you would feed the bee's, just running the problem through my head and that was the answer I came up with. Another note. if the liquid drips from the bottle and is too thin, you could maybe soak the liquid in a sponge first and place the sponge in the fabric?...not sure. just wondering how it could have went for the customer.
Thanks for the videos! Go Broncos! So is there a "proper" way to put on an inner cover? I've seen some put the flush side down, giving the bees less space between the tops of the frames and the inner cover, or others, like you did, with the flush side towards the top, giving the bees more space between the tops of the frame and the cover. It seems if you put the flush side up, giving the bees more space, they will build a bunch of burr comb in the space. What are your thoughts?
+Rockburn Hi Rockburn. You're right, given the extra space and nectar coming in, the bees will build burr comb in between. I only do this during the winter, so that I can control ventilation. When the flat side is up, the bee escape hole is blocked so airflow runs along the back side of the hive and vents out through the top rear. But, if there is no incoming nectar or honey flow the bees won't build any comb. When the flat side is down the bees won't build any burr comb between the two (even with a honey flow), and airflow is directed through the center of the hive and then out of the rear, which helps the bees to cool down the hive. Clear as mudd? Thanks for watching!
Any paint store has the cans, usually they will be anywhere from free to about $5 each. All other equipment and feeding utensils you can get from any large beekeeping outlet; Dadant, Betterbee, Mann lake ltd., etc.
i used mustard oil on a printing paper ,put it on the bottom inside the hive i used it for three weeks and i did alcohol test end up with zero mited try it and see if it work ,it worked for me
I have never used it, and there is a wide variety of syrups on the market, most of which are not maple syrup at all, but HFCS. My experience with HFCS is that bees develop dysentery. With any preservatives and additives, flavoring, etc., I wouldn't risk it at all. Also, it is much more expensive than buying table sugar and mixing it with water. That's my 2 cents, anyway. thanks for watching!
Is White Satin Powdered Amalgamated Sugar made from beets OK to make syrup for bees? Also, is “Brown” Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar OK to feed bees? www.honeybeesuite.com/is-organic-sugar-better-for-bees/ “Brown” sugar is bad for bees because it is made by taking refined white sugar and adding molasses back into it-and it’s the molasses part that contains all the solids. The ash content of brown sugar will vary depending on how much molasses is added, but molasses runs from 5 to 9% ash
To be honest, I haven't heard of any of those sugars, except brown sugar with molasses added. Thanks for the info. I have always just used white granulated sugar, which in America is most commonly beet or cane sugar, though I know there are a lot of boutique sugars out there that is available now. Thanks again.
On a molecular level there is virtually zero difference between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Table Sugar--the main difference being that one comes granulated and the other comes in liquid form. I wonder if the Water/Sugar Ratio is the same in the mix that beekeepers make (one to one) as in HFC55--it could be that it's a bit more concentrated and that was causing your bees to have a reaction to it. For the most part, in human consumption, the vilification of HFC55 is a Red Herring and a false narrative--we need to cut down on our overall consumption of added sugars. On the Bee Feeding side of things I wonder if there is a way to find out what the Sugar to Water ratio is in HFC55. See below: High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. Regular Sugar There are only tiny differences between the most common type of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS 55) and regular sugar. First of all, high fructose corn syrup is liquid, containing 24% water, whereas table sugar is dry and granulated. In terms of chemical structure, the fructose and glucose in high fructose corn syrup are not bound together like in granulated sugar (sucrose). Instead, they "float" separately alongside each other. These differences do not affect nutritional value or health properties in any way. In our digestive system, sugar is broken down into fructose and glucose, so corn syrup and sugar end up looking exactly the same. Gram for gram, HFCS 55 has slightly higher levels of fructose than regular sugar. The difference is very small and not particularly relevant from a health perspective. Of course, if we were comparing regular sugar with HFCS 90 (90% fructose), then regular sugar would be far more desirable, as excessive consumption of fructose can be very harmful. However, HFCS 90 is rarely used, and then only in tiny amounts due to its extreme sweetness (3). Bottom Line: High fructose corn syrup and sugar are almost identical. The main difference is that in sugar, the fructose and glucose molecules are bound together.
So sorry, I wanted to say thank you for putting this information out for the ones who are seeking knowledge. I am going to seek out more of your videos!
I would like to see a video of how the bees get syrup from the can. Is there a hole in the bottom of the can? If so, what stops the syrup from draining out onto the hive below?
Good info about types of feeders and I like how Keith explains the natural action of bees not wanting to break cluster in order to feed. The video showed me how to alter my current method of using quart jar feeders over the inner cover hole. I just need to remove my jars from their 1/2" stand-offs and set the jars right over the slot.
I remember when I was scared of bees and would step on them now I absolutely love them and try to find them outside XD
We made bee feeders for our bee yard with plastic containers, It's cheap, serves the purpose, easy to make and use.
Also if you are in very cold climates, you could add insulation like a burlap bag on the inner cover and around the syrup can. Every little bit helps.
Thank You! One of the best and most informative videos i've seen.
I have Watched Hundreds of Clips & I Still Learn a Point or two, You Mentioned about Corn Syrup, I did Notice last yr that They Dont Favor it by Choice, and TY for the Info of Which Feeder, I dont Like the Inside Feeder they Always Drawn in it, Can is the Best, Last Year I had them Make Combs inside Upside Down Empty Glass Jar which I treasured it ! And
TY SO MUCH , One thing I may Suggest , Do MORE CLOSE UP instead of Distance Filming by 99% Cause if Some of Us that Like Your Clips Want to FEEL closer to Your HIVE & What You Do with Your Hands & See the BEES & How they Are Clustered etc. GREAT JOB ! Vic.
Thanks for the advice!
Great video on the feeders... Thank you. I'm at the information gathering phase before I get started with my beekeeping and really appreciate all of your knowledge and your presentation of it.
You mentioned in another video about possibly doing an Inner Cover video which I'd really like to see. Every body just yanks them off the Hive and goes about their business of a video. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for the vedeo. It's a big help for me as beginner. ❤️
I know this is an old video but I have a question. The feeder that you like the best for the top how do you keep the syrup from coming out when you turn it up side down to cover the hole. I cannot tell what you have as a lid so that it wont spill but the bees can get the honey out. Sorry newbie here. Also my first package comes March 18th. Could I use this feeder instead of the entrance feeder?
punch a few small holes with a thumb tack in the lid. As the syrup is used it will slowly come out but not run out into the hive.
@@ironsticksportinggoodsllc2417 Thank you for your response! I have another question - can a mason jar & lid be used the same way? I am getting my 1st nuc today!
@@kerrysclar2358 yes. That is all I use is mason jar lids.
1st yr beekeeping. Thanks for info!
A year ago I melted the wax from honey frames cappings and the residual honey which became black I threw it in the garden. One of my hive started foraging those remains and soon I found in that hive around 4-5 frames of honey extremely black. The hive wintered ok, no problem.
Best way to feed bees quickly is to put a feeder shim on and use one gallon freezer bags.
Fill part way, lay on hive, slice slits with razor knife. Come back in two days and it's gone. You can fit two bags on a ten frame hive.
If your syrup is warm is better.
Wow great video and very informative, thanks for sharing. My question for you is where are you getting your cans, how do you fill them and seal them, how many holes are recommended and what technique are you using for the holes?
They are just quart paint cans (never used) and I get them for free from Sherwin-Williams, where I buy the paint for the hives. The lids come off with a screwdriver or other prying tool and I recommend 4-5 very small holes. You can use bigger cans, there are pros and cons. Hope this helps.
Perfect! Thanks for your videos they are great. I’m in Utah and share the same climate so I find your videos very helpful for our area.
This guy : "I know what I'm doing" (puts frames on ground)
Frame hanger: "wait, what?"
I've got a frame hanger. It's a pita to use. Really if you're leaning frames against their own hive and a queen wanders off you either find a ball of bees herding her back or she flies home. The queen orients.
Ever move one and have her fly back to the mating nuc? I had one do it 4 times.
im just getting into this but why do you have a frame holder and putting frames on the ground
Thanks for the great video. Do you put your top board upside down to still allow for ventilation? Sorry, I may have missed something but I couldn't find/see where your vent hole was using this method.
Hi there. Yes, I always provide some method for ventilation when I have to feed syrup. In this case, the vent hole is a groove cut into one side of the inner cover, which I usually have in that position for winter anyway to provide ventilation that runs along the back side of the hive rather than through the middle of the cluster. In summer, I flip it over to provide ventilation through the center of the cluster. Hope that makes sense!
@@honeybeehoney6132 Hi. Thanks so much for this video!! I've learned a lot from this and your robbers video today! I'm a SMALL keeper and just got a new swarm w no food. And the weather here in LAKEWOOD (co :-)) as spring arrives (or fall) can be a challenge (but beautiful) , we've had some cold cloudy days. Am thinking I could put in a feeder like you suggest. Love this option! BUT after reading this post, I'm not sure my inner cover has a vent hole... Would it be a problem to put syrup in now w/o it? I'll look through your other videos for info about that. Do we need to worry about condensation here? So much to learn! I hope all in well in your world!
Due to climate change, we usually have high (85%) extreme precipitation in a northern climate. Like you said, other feeding methods do encourage robbing. The top feeding can blocks the vent while adding more moisture. Would you recommend cutting additional top venting to compensate? I always place a small spacer under the front of the top cover to promote ventilation. Loved your video. Thank You
Thank you
I just got a 5 frame hive and hoping to build up to ten frames , how often should I feed them . Only four days now since I got them.
Thanks for the information, very good video. Im thinking about getting into bee keeping as a second source of money in the summer months and as a good hobby. One quick question for the new guy though, would it be possible to have more hives that are not rented out to produce honey for the hives that would need food during the winter?
I am sorry if I am sounding dense, but, you just put the can with a few holes in the bottom, over the normal slit in the inner cover? or are you expanding or modifying the inner cover? How many holes in the bottom of the can? I have ordered my packages and very excited but nervous about getting started here in Northern Az, I find your videos so helpful and thanks so much. One last question, although off subject, do you have a video on picking foundation. Most folks talk about using wax foundation but now I am reading that it is all contaminated? Right when I know what I am getting,,,something I read changes my mind. So COnfusing! Thanks again for your time and help. Take care.
Hi Dareth: Yes, I just put a few holes in the lid of the can and turned it upside down without altering the inner cover (though I would suggest you use an inner cover that has an upper entrance, or vent). This is to be contrasted with using other types of feeders that I think are less effective, efficient and in some cases ineffective.
Foundation is a hot topic. When beekeepers were told to use chemical varroacides in their hives (no longer recommended in most cases) beeswax became contaminated. Since its use has sharply declined in favor of organic approaches to varroa treatment (mechanical, formic or oxalic acid) beeswax is much less contaminated. The bottom line is that the miniscule amount of any toxin in a reputable maker of foundation is not significant. Keep in mind that the foundation only accounts for a small portion of the finished comb. In reality, honey comb is contaminated by either chemicals introduced into the hive by the beekeeper, environmental contaminants from people (pesticides, herbicides, etc.), or biological contaminants such as American Foulbrood, etc. This is why beekeepers should practice IPM practices, in particular comb replacement at regular intervals, usually recommended every five years. Hope this helps!
You explanatory was superb EXCEPT for one part: you didn't provide any close ups of the punctured lids of the cans, so that we could get a good idea of proper size. Would the can method not also drown bees, allowing the syrup to just continue to drip down into the hive, onto the frames, drowning brood, polluting pollen/bread stores, etc?
I'm not quite understanding the dichotomy between the first method you said drowned bees, and the can method, which seems to me, to be exactly the same.
Pertaining to the Frame Feeder, could not a 'floating lattice' device be put on top of the syrup, allowing the bees to stand on it, drinking through the lattice holes, while remaining safe?
Thank you for your time.
I like to watch many videos on the topic one can learn from everyone else cheers
When should you stop feeding sugar syrup to your hive in the spring/summer so you have pure honey to harvest? I'm in Colorado.
It was a great video, just perfect information for my two hives! Thank you )))
Once again I love your instructional videos. I am now using your technique of using a can on top of the inner cover. With your technique I have noticed the little ventilation hole on the back side of the inert cover is no longer protected by the telescoping lid. Is it possible that the queen can escape out that hole or have outside invaders find their way in much easier? Have you experienced any problems with the hole being exposed?
Do you happen to have an email that would be easier to correspond with you?
Couldn't you prop up the cans slightly to maintain top ventilation?
Thank you. Great video.
well Im sold on your feeding method. I had a tray top feeder and it starting leaking through a knothole on side and I saw some robbing going on. So taking them out and putting in Mason jars like you have that can. I think I will custom drill a hole in floor of top cover over bees for the upside down Mason jar lid. So it would actually go down an inch. I will get it tight so no bees will be able to get in upper box with mason jar. thanks!!
Thanks for the comment(s). Glad you found the videos helpful!
Man, that background I feel like I recognize, New Mexico? ;) Edit: Just listened till you said Colorado, Close enough!! haha
Yep. I go to New Mexico quite often and it's very similar! Whereabouts in New Mexico are you?
Have you ever tried the rapid feeder style? I use it in winter and spring, and although they need to break cluster is really easy to use, to refill and bees never drown.
Nope, never heard of it. Do you have any more info?
Honey Bee Honey here in Europe or at least in Portugal we use a feeder like this www.timberbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Alimentador-1Kg.jpg and I have great results with it, never have a drowned bee, and when you need to fill the feeder you never mess with the bees because you have a perforated inner cover that let the feed in, but the bees will not get out.
Barnyard Bees has a couple videos on his site. Barnyardbees.com
Hi! Thank you SO much for all of your videos, really appreciate them as a new bee keeper! I have a question for you, I had heard that the bees do not make honey out of the syrup I feed them but I took a little local class and they said that they DO make honey from their sugar syrup! Which is it? I don't want my honey made from the sugar syrup I feed them. Thanks a zillion!
The act of making honey from the bee's perspective is quite subtle. When a honey bee gathers nectar from a plant they deposit it into a honey stomach (which is not a digestive organ). In the honey stomach the honey bee body adds enzymes to the nectar during transport. Those enzymes are what transforms nectar into honey. When that nectar (with added enzymes) is transferred into a cell, over time those enzymes change the chemical structure of the nectar into honey. The enzymes remain alive in the honey, fyi. Over time, the colony evaporates moisture out of the nectar/honey until it is below 17% water, at which time they cap that cell with an impermeable wax cap. It is now honey in its final state. The process of removing sugar syrup from the feeder is the same as the process for removing nectar from a flower. They have to transport it in their honey stomach, therefore, sugar syrup is transformed by these enzymes. It is not true honey however, because it was cane sugar rather than nectar, but it does resemble honey. The transport time is less, so there is likely less enzymatic action taking place, but I don't have research to back that up. The bottom line is that when you have honey supers on, you don't ever want to feed sugar syrup. Feeding syrup is used as an emergency feed to keep the bees alive, or to stimulate the colony to grow in the spring (or any time of year, but to weak hives). Once there is a strong nectar flow, feeding sugar syrup should cease (and in many cases the bees quit taking it anyway in lieu of nectar). Hope that helps.
I m brand new one hive to my name. I bought a brushy mountain hive top feeder and I like it. But you make some excellant points. I think feeding withs cans is better like you say. You didnt show how to setup the holes in the can. How does it drain only what tbey need and not nust dump all of the syrup out. Also you are covering up the vent hole. I over wi ter in Michigan moisture is a problem. Maybe drill another vent hole. What do you think.....thanks Mike
Hi Mike. Earlier in the video I show you the vent hole. The hole in the center of the inner cover is actually a bee escape hole, which is a way to remove bees from the supers. Just google bee escape and you'll see what I mean. My inner covers have half circle shape holes, or rectangular cuts on one side of the inner cover. This is the actual vent. If you look up inner covers you will see that some of them have these vents and some don't. When I feed, I turn the inner cover over so that the deep side is facing the hive and the vent goes out of the back of the hive. When you put the telescoping cover over the inner cover, just slide the lid all the way to the rear so that the vent is opened.
Excellent video. I have tried the mason jar feeder with a hive top which I like the best, but it tends to leak. I have about 5 small holes but it still tends to leak out over the bee's. Do you have the same problem?
+David Koch The only time I get a leak is when the hive dies and during times of different barometric pressure drops, though if the bees are still alive it almost isn't even noticeable. The holes I put in my cans are very small, just the tip of a small nail, maybe 1/64" I've never used the mason jar though. It may be possible that if it was used before and sealed, the seal may be faulty, so pick up a new lid (less than a dollar) and try that. Thanks for the feedback!
Does honey drip through the same size holes that you use for syrup? Go Seahawks (sorry).
Honey Bee Honey, How do you put the syrup in the can? Thanks again.
Hi Desiree, and thanks for your support! It is a simple paint can at least here in the US. The lid just comes off of the can so that you can fill it.
I have 15+ frames of full honey from a hive I lost this winter. When I install a new queen & 3 lbs of bees, do you think I could be successful with a full super of honey on top of the deep w/ the new bees, or will that be too much space for them to keep warm. I am in central Wisconsin. Thanks for the advice!
No that would be fine. There is an optimal amount of space for a hive of a certain size, but if they can guard the hive and it is full of honey that won't be a problem. Empty comb and a hive that can't clean it effectively will attract pests, however, but combs of capped honey are so acidic that pests aren't a problem in those cases.
The new way to stop bees drowning in hivetop feeders is to put the neck of a sock onto the part where the bees go down to get syrup and no more dead bees!!
Thank you so much for this information!!!
I see those cans used for feeders like you're doing and in bee packages, where do you get them?
One minute later you mention paint cans but many look like canned fruit cans with the ridges.
They are just paint cans from paint stores (never used of course). They are cheap and the metal absorbs heat better than other materials.
home depot sales new cans
I love your videos...You've helped me a lot! Thanks!
Thanks, glad I can help!
Wondering what the temperture is outside?
Have you ever just added an extra super in spring with capped honey in frames for them to feed on after a long winter?
There are various reasons why I don't want brood in my supers. However, I have added honey frames to hives to feed as well.
Temperatures in winter are usually cold at night, teens to 20's and warm during the day. Our temperature swings are incredible. However, it can get very cold here as well. Once during a two week period in December the high was -13 Fahrenheit.
Whould you not have a condensation problem due to covering the only vent hole? I always thought ventilation is more important in winter than summer. You would also be adding a lot of water in the syrup.
I'm not covering the only vent hole - there is one in the back of the inner cover. Ventilation is just as important in the winter than in the summer, but in a different way. Condensation left in the hive will cool down the cluster when it drips on them and comes with bacteria and fungus that can hurt the hive. However, all of my hives have an opening in the inner cover through which I use ventilation to carry off the moisture from the syrup. The syrup is anywhere from a 2:1 to 5:1 ratio of sugar:water, precisely so that they can immediately use and it if they store it there is less work involved in dehydrating it. Hope this helps.
I have some trtouble gettring sugar water at 2:1. Takes a while. How do you get 5:1
I fill a 5 gallon bucket with sugar, just leave a little room at the top, maybe an inch or so. Then get a gallon jar with real nice and hot water, add it and stir it with a big wooden spoon until you have syrup. It does take a little while, fifteen minutes or so.
I didnt see where you show the holes in the bottom of your feed can. If you use a mason jar how many holes do you punch in lid and and how big are the holes you put in lid? --thanks!
Don't put any holes in the bottom of the can. It's atmospheric pressure that keeps the liquid in the can, so just put about four to six very small holes in the lid, turn it upside down and let the bees drink from it.
Oh ok...I will be using Mason jars with lids. I was going to use finish nail to put 4 small holes in the lid. I pre cut hole in top of sleeve on bottom above brood box to where jar will fit in hole and no bees will be able to get into empty box. right?
Sounds right. I just use a small nail, but the holes shouldn't be any larger than about 1/32". You don't want any bees in the empty super, but if your setup is anything like mine, it's so that the bees don't die. If the lid is down and only the bees in the hive can reach it you won't have a problem with robbing. One of the reasons I use the paint cans is because the lid is recessed about 3/16" from the rim of the can which gives the bees a little room to get close to the holes, from whatever it is sitting on if that makes any sense.
I'm starting a brand new hive for the first time (in Canada, no flowers yet) do I need a pollen patty. My partner thinks we don't because there seems to be tree pollen in the air.
The best way to tell is to just give them some and see if they take it. My school of thought is that it isn't needed in most cases if you have natural pollen coming in. Sorry my answer wasn't timely! Thanks for writing though!
I bought what I think you are calling a frame feeder. It has little ladders for them to climb down in to eat. Wouldn't that keep them from drowning?
I am brand new to this and am trying to gather all the information I can.
Theoretically, yes. However, it is crucial when you are refilling that you don't drown the bees and any hive movement can cause the equivalent of a tidal wave for the bees that are lapping up the syrup. How do you like it?
I left it in until a few days after our monsoon of about 3 weeks of constant rain. After I took it out I found 1 dead bee in it.
Before I put it in they were starving out and I probably lost 1/3 of my hive. So I think this may have saved my bees.
I had what must have been a couple thousand bees that died before I put it in. I didn't count them but there were a lot.
Great video ! ! ! 👍
You said that you can make a sugar syrup with a 5:1 ratio. How do you keep the syrup from crystallizing at ratio stronger than 2:1? Is there a trick?
Do you go to Oklahoma @ times? I have a lot of glass jars I've acummulated, & wouldn't mind handing over, I'm in Ada. TY.
I don't make it there too often. I'll let you know if I do!
Ty
How long should I wait until I take the wax paper off and out of the hive once the pollen/protein patty is finished?
You can take it off of the patty before you put it on actually, or at any time.
Have some cans now. Question how many holes would you put so they can get at the sugar water mix?
Terry Serson If I remember correctly in his videos about feeding a hive in trouble thru winter he said 3.... But it was in passing.
I'm not a bee keeper. At best just a passive observer right now. I don't know anything about their care. However he I think it was in the second or third videos of that series when he talks about feeding thicker 5 to 1 stirrup when he uses something to clear the holes that he mentioned 3 holes...
Not that I'm an expert but I would think it should be match to your hives ability to capture the stirrup dripping. Larger hives might mean more it is collected faster. If it was me I'd start slow so they get the idea. It should have a fair amount of time to drip through. He seemed to only change the can once a week. Hope I'm helping but if I were you I'd watch those 4 videos. Cause you get to see the effect.
I tried 5 holes took about 3 days to empty. Then I tried 3 more holes(8) and it took two days so I like that time frame. Using 2 to 1
I can't tell from the video. Is the can capped on both ends? How does the syrup not run out when holes are punched in? How big are the holes?
I'm interested in this method, but I have too many questions and am nervous about attempting it.
My question comes to you from "the idiots guide to beekeeping". You explained the quart can feeder you like to use but, my question is, there are pin holes in the can , right? And what size holes does it matter?
There are pin holes in the lid only, and they are no more than 1/32", just the tip of a small nail like you would use in a frame. Four to six holes are usually sufficient.
I use thumb tacks to punch holes. Seems to be the perfect size.
When feeding how often do you have to fill the can's that you use?
It just depends on how badly they need it. If they are very low on honey stores a quart can can be refilled every couple of days.
Is the sugar water ratio measured by weight or volume?
All my books say ratio by weight
I saw a video that proved that the amounts are the same whether you measure by weight or volume. A pint of water weights 2 pounds and is equal to 2 cups volume. A pint of sugar weights 2 pounds and is equal to 2 cups volume.
You mentioned you have a specific hive specification. Do you have them specially built for you? If so is it possible to mail me the specifications i could hand a cabinet maker here in Australia?
I use hive bodies and frames from Walter T. Kelley. I used to use Mann Lake Ltd hive bodies and Walter T. Kelley frames, but Mann Lake changed their hive body specs, and now are too deep for those frames. If you need the exact specs, I can measure them and let you know. However, judging by photos and videos that originate in the UK and Australia, you may not have the same problem that we do here. Measure the space in the following places and make sure they are between 5/16" and 7/16" (I don't know the metric equivalent): the space between; the bottom of the bottom bar of the top hive body and the top of the top bar on the bottom hive body, the space between the edge of the frame and hive body (end bar where the wires are) and the space between the edge of the top bar and the inside of the hive body (frames 1 and 10). As long as that bee space is adhered to you won't have to worry about comb build-up between hive bodies or bees propolizing the frames to the sides of the hive bodies. But, if the space is less than 5/16" the bees will propolize the space; and if it is larger than 7/16" they will fill it with burr comb.
@@honeybeehoney6132 Great looking hives. Thanks for the measurements. I didn't know Mann Lake changed their measurements. Who would you recommend for buying nucs?
this was a good one on feeding Thanks
A neighbor gave me an 80 lb steel can of honey that they don't want. The honey has turned dark and crystallized. Is it OK to thin it down and feed to my bees instead of sugar syrup?
You should never feed honey, especially when the process of extracting honey isn't known. If the honey turned dark, it is usually because of overheating. Overheating honey causes an acid to form that is toxic to bees. So, no I definitely would not feed it to the bees. However, using a low temperature form of passive heating, or mildly active heating can re-liquefy the honey and you can bottle it and sell it or use it yourself.
What size holes do I put in that can?
Very small, like 1/32" or so.
Glad u ask that. That was my question.
Where did you get the phone tripod?
Hello, what do you think of the apimaye top feeder and cover.
I've never had any practical experience with it.
I live in Illinois and winters are capricious, so my question would be;could I make the brood box and the super of 2 inch tick pine? wold it make any difference for winter?
Don't do it.
You'll end up using yellow pine and it rots no matter what you do.
It will rot right under fresh paint.
I'm in champaign, IL. You really don't need to wrap hives imo.
What I do is lay a piece of builders foam on top of outer cover. I don't use inner covers.
I put a feeder shim on top (under the cover) with a 3/4 inch hole bored in the front.
In spring when they build comb in the shim that's the signal to put excluder and supers on. I put pollen patties on in march.
@@mikeries8549 Thank you, Mike
How do you keep from being stung?
First year doing bees here. Does it matter where you get the can for the feed? Anything to avoid?
No. I find the best cans are from paint stores. The new cans all are lined with a coating so they rust much slower and last longer. But, you can use glass mason jars if you would like. I personally don't like plastic, but I'm sure it is probably fine as well.
I like the idea of the metal cans. Like you stated in the video, they will hold the heat better than plastic...Glass, I don't trust my self not to drop and break near or in the hive. Mason jars can put up with a lot...but I'm a clutz...If it can break in a bad spot, I will be the one to do it. Thanks for the response, just ordered my first package; getting excited for my first season!
So, are you saying if. Y hives are strong I may not need to feed during a dearth?
I guess I feel this way. If there is a dearth and you have not put on honey supers yet, then it depends on the hive. They may be strong, but if they have little reserves, i.e. capped honey cells, go ahead and feed. If this is early in the spring, after a honey flow, the bees will pour resources as they are coming in to produce more bees. Then, e.g. a killing frost comes and the nectar stops flowing, the bees have already made their investment and you will observe very little honey left in cells that are capped. It is important to feed then. However, if the dearth comes at expected times, strong hives will have already gathered their winter supply, so long as you don't take it from them. The bottom line for me is to feed when the bees are in short supply, but not just to feed because you can. Only give them sugar syrup when they are going to need more before spring, or when they are building up. The exception is the case above in which the weather does something unpredictable and this causes a change in nectar flows. If nectar is flowing, bees will usually stop taking syrup and concentrate on foraging.
cant you just eave 1 super of honey for the bees over winter or when they are not leaving the hive??? or do you still have to provide a liquid feeder?
Of course. The liquid feeder is only for hives that are in danger of starving. If you have a spare super than you can use it. You can also add frames to a hive that is low on food stores.
hi honey bee,honey, so how does one get a can with two lids on either side/end, and how to refill? thanks!
I just use a normal quart can with a single lid that you can find in any paint store, often times they will give them too you for free.
ah good idea, thanks!
have you ever used the method where people make a sugar syrup and pour it in a frame then harden it and it's basically a frame containing a block of sugar. thoughts on that?
No, I have never tried that. My concern would be whether or not the hardened candy is something that can be mixed with pollen to create bee bread for pre-pupae brood. But it is definitely worth trying, I've never thought of it. Basically, fondant poured into a pulled comb, right?
Jerry G
G????
Yes, winter fondant poured into a frame so it can be put into the cluster. I've seen it on RUclips but not tried it myself.
Why not put a mason jar of honey? Even if you dikute it to the consistency of syrup? Wouldnt that be better than processed sugar? I never see anyone try...
Honey, depending on the way it is processed can be bad for the bees. Once it is heated to a certain temperature, there is a chemical change that results in an acid that makes bees sick. The only way this is recommended is if you extract the honey yourself, use absolutely no heat in the process and the honey is still liquid. Over time, real honey will granulate and become unavailable for the bees to draw out of the jar.
So, my honey from last year had absolutely no heat whatsoever. I just uncapped with a prickly roller and extracted it. So, Would I need to dilute with water so it would flow a little?
Hopefully you've gotten better at the volume thing. I absolutely hate turning up the volume so I can hear only to have me ear drums blown out 30 seconds later
Hey, I noticed you had no ants on top of your brood box. Do you do anything to keep ants away?
I haven't really had any problems with ants, so I don't have to use any controls.
I have had horrible issues with ants in the past, I solved my issue by installing my hive atop 2 4x4 posts concreted into the ground vertically with 2x6 joists space for the hive to rest on. Having only 2 points of contact with the ground makes battling ants easier. I painted a stripe of roofing adhesive around the bases of each post that the ants will not cross (and get stuck in if they do)
Cappy Tan Thank you!
Great info but please work on the audio the levels change drastically and that's killer on my ears using earbuds
As I read your comment it went from soothing classical music to "HEY EVERYBODY" lol
awesome demonstration. great job. im way ahead of the program now..thank you. .
Thank You!
candler, n.c. blueridge mts. good vid, and I think the same way you do, got my nucs in and have put my sec, brood chamber on them, letting them make there own combs, worked good in first brood, hope ta see the same in the sec. will know in a few days. thanks for your vids, and hope mine do as good as I see yours is. wish you and yours the best in life.(y) .
+Michael Moore Thanks for the good wishes! I just had an AFB scare, but kept it confined to the original hive and took care of the problem. Other than that, all my hives seem to be thriving! Hope yours do great too! Watch for the AFB video.
Don't you close off the vent hole when using the can top feeder?
No. Whenever you are feeding liquids the excess moisture has to get out of the hive or it can cause problems. My inner covers are turned over so that the vent is against the hive body whenever I feed.
love your videos very informative. however could you please manage your audio better. at one point in the video you have e a voice over that is a whisper compared the normal audio.
Honey bee honey, how do you prevent the can from dripping over the cluster? does it happen or has it happen to you before? thank you
The holes in the top of the can just can't be very large, 1/32" or so, but usually atmospheric pressure keeps it in the can.
Sir where do you buy your inner covers, supers, frames. Etc?
Well, I'm pretty picky about my equipment especially in maintaining proper bee space. I personally like the bottom boards (ventilated heavy duty) from Kelley as well as hive bodies and frames from Kelley. In my videos you may also see hive bodies from Mann Lake, though I have went back to Kelley because ML changed their equipment and is now 1/8" deeper than before with larger handholds and the bee space is wrong for my frames. Inner covers are usually purchased from Rossman - but they have also gone the way of cheaper and no longer have actual solid wood inner covers, they have substitued plywood so I will no longer be purchasing inner covers from there. I haven't yet found a substitute and am considering making my own. Plywood does no last in a beehive. Lids are also different. If I am buying a normal flat lid I go with Kelley. However, if I want a more decorative lid I go with an expensive one from Ruhl bee supply aptly named an English Style cover. Probably a longer answer than you were hoping for, but I don't want to leave you hanging!
great info
How do you fill can ..
Great video but how do you fill can
Can I feed jaggery to bees
Certain frogs survive freezing temperatures because of the sugar levels in their blood. Sugar syrup should not freeze.
When I was working at a hardware store A customer came in looking at the peep feeders, he told me he was trying to find something to feed his bees but was afraid they would drown in the feeders designed for peeps. We talked for a bit and I suggested that maybe he try taking a soda bottle and poking pin holes through it. then put the bottle in a sock turned inside out, or wrapped in a towel like fabric with hair like fibers. that way the cloth could hold the liquid to it and the bees can land a suck on it..without fear of drowning. He loved the idea and left without buying anything..but I never seen him again so I don't know if it worked. If anyone of you bee guys get a chance, could you tell me if it sounds like a decent idea?. I dont raise bees so im not sure of the exact thickness of said liquids you would feed the bee's, just running the problem through my head and that was the answer I came up with. Another note. if the liquid drips from the bottle and is too thin, you could maybe soak the liquid in a sponge first and place the sponge in the fabric?...not sure. just wondering how it could have went for the customer.
I'm not sure if it would have worked or not, but it sounds like a decent plan.
Thanks for the videos! Go Broncos! So is there a "proper" way to put on an inner cover? I've seen some put the flush side down, giving the bees less space between the tops of the frames and the inner cover, or others, like you did, with the flush side towards the top, giving the bees more space between the tops of the frame and the cover. It seems if you put the flush side up, giving the bees more space, they will build a bunch of burr comb in the space. What are your thoughts?
+Rockburn Hi Rockburn. You're right, given the extra space and nectar coming in, the bees will build burr comb in between. I only do this during the winter, so that I can control ventilation. When the flat side is up, the bee escape hole is blocked so airflow runs along the back side of the hive and vents out through the top rear. But, if there is no incoming nectar or honey flow the bees won't build any comb. When the flat side is down the bees won't build any burr comb between the two (even with a honey flow), and airflow is directed through the center of the hive and then out of the rear, which helps the bees to cool down the hive. Clear as mudd? Thanks for watching!
Thanks good video.
Thank you awesome informative video. Sorry my Seahawks spanked your Broncos in 2014. 😀
What can someone do with a frame that has sugar syrup in it?
Just use it to feed a hive that has low amounts of carbs in the hive. Don't extract it.
hive box distance 5 sqt or 10sqt sir please upload thanks.
what is sqt?
Where tf do I get this stuff?
Any paint store has the cans, usually they will be anywhere from free to about $5 each. All other equipment and feeding utensils you can get from any large beekeeping outlet; Dadant, Betterbee, Mann lake ltd., etc.
👍
How can I get you people
i used mustard oil on a printing paper ,put it on the bottom inside the hive i used it for three weeks and i did alcohol test end up with zero mited try it and see if it work ,it worked for me
lol frame holder right there and he puts the frames on the ground
Sorry,dear I'm from Cambodia , you can ask me about it
Will pancake syrup work
I have never used it, and there is a wide variety of syrups on the market, most of which are not maple syrup at all, but HFCS. My experience with HFCS is that bees develop dysentery. With any preservatives and additives, flavoring, etc., I wouldn't risk it at all. Also, it is much more expensive than buying table sugar and mixing it with water. That's my 2 cents, anyway. thanks for watching!
Somerville, Doug. 2014. Feeding sugar to honey bees. Primefact. October 2014 1343 1st edition. Retrieved from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/532260/Feeding-sugar-to-honey-bees.pdf
I've seen that, but thanks. I've actually used it as a resource before.
NP
Is White Satin Powdered Amalgamated Sugar made from beets OK to make syrup for bees? Also, is “Brown” Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar OK to feed bees? www.honeybeesuite.com/is-organic-sugar-better-for-bees/ “Brown” sugar is bad for bees because it is made by taking refined white sugar and adding molasses back into it-and it’s the molasses part that contains all the solids. The ash content of brown sugar will vary depending on how much molasses is added, but molasses runs from 5 to 9% ash
To be honest, I haven't heard of any of those sugars, except brown sugar with molasses added. Thanks for the info. I have always just used white granulated sugar, which in America is most commonly beet or cane sugar, though I know there are a lot of boutique sugars out there that is available now. Thanks again.
Would be better to begin with the basic sugar syrup recipe.
I stopped feeding my bees patti in the spring when I noticed small brown maggots living underneath it.
Yuck! I've never had that problem, thankfully.
On a molecular level there is virtually zero difference between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Table Sugar--the main difference being that one comes granulated and the other comes in liquid form. I wonder if the Water/Sugar Ratio is the same in the mix that beekeepers make (one to one) as in HFC55--it could be that it's a bit more concentrated and that was causing your bees to have a reaction to it. For the most part, in human consumption, the vilification of HFC55 is a Red Herring and a false narrative--we need to cut down on our overall consumption of added sugars. On the Bee Feeding side of things I wonder if there is a way to find out what the Sugar to Water ratio is in HFC55.
See below:
High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. Regular Sugar
There are only tiny differences between the most common type of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS 55) and regular sugar.
First of all, high fructose corn syrup is liquid, containing 24% water, whereas table sugar is dry and granulated.
In terms of chemical structure, the fructose and glucose in high fructose corn syrup are not bound together like in granulated sugar (sucrose).
Instead, they "float" separately alongside each other.
These differences do not affect nutritional value or health properties in any way.
In our digestive system, sugar is broken down into fructose and glucose, so corn syrup and sugar end up looking exactly the same.
Gram for gram, HFCS 55 has slightly higher levels of fructose than regular sugar. The difference is very small and not particularly relevant from a health perspective.
Of course, if we were comparing regular sugar with HFCS 90 (90% fructose), then regular sugar would be far more desirable, as excessive consumption of fructose can be very harmful.
However, HFCS 90 is rarely used, and then only in tiny amounts due to its extreme sweetness (3).
Bottom Line:
High fructose corn syrup and sugar are almost identical. The main difference is that in sugar, the fructose and glucose molecules are bound together.
I appreciate your comment yet beets, cane and corn are different source. The bees know. 😌