Thanks Patrick. It doesn’t take much at all and to my shame I just add a good glug. I should be more scientific I know but regardless of the amount or strength of the mix it all seems to crystallise and float on top of the syrup. Very little if any seems to stay in soloution and I’m not sure if the same effect couldn’t be achieved by simply sprinkling thymol crystals on top. I fed some bees yesterday with the last of last years syrup. A year old and perhaps slightly darker in colour but absolutely no sign of fermentation.
You can add a small amount of Potassium Sorbate which will inhibit mould, yeasts and microbes. It's very affective, inexpensive and used in home brewing.
Hello Trevor! Congratulations on the first thousand subscribers! 👏🎉👏🎉 I want this number to multiply by another thousand!!! Take care of yourself and your family! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🤝🤝🤝🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🐝🐝🐝✌✌✌
We mix using an electric trash pump in the blue plastic clamp top 50 gallon barrels, pump outlet comes up to a manifold and in mix mode it just recirculates, outlet goes to the bottom of the tank at an angle, it causes constant turbulence so sugar never gets to settle, we can then run a 11/2 inch hose to tank on truck, once sugar is mixed open valve to tank and slowly close re circulate valve, tank in truck is an ex window cleaners fresh water tank.
Thank you beekeeperkev. An excellent soloution to what can be an awkward task. Bee farmers are by and large a very practical and resourceful group of individuals.👍
Thanks Andrew and yes it is. The biggest problem was securing and welding the outlet valve on. I think these tanks originally had a “bath plug” type of bung on the end of a stainless steel rod. I couldn’t find anything suitable so my friend welded me the valve in place.
Cam lock fitting for the pump and hoses would make it a lot quicker to hook up. I’m surprised you didn’t have any wasps come. I mixed up 100 liters this morning and had 30 wasps come add themselves to the mix.
Hello Graeme, yes you’re right, cam lock fittings would be a better option but the screw connectors are as supplied. Awkward yes but thankfully this is a once a year job.I usually have some syrup to carry over for emergencies the following year. I don’t feed any syrup unless I really have to. I don’t know how I get away without bees and wasps but I have never yet had a problem. Perhaps you could try mixing earlier in the year. I am just taking the last of the heather honey off and the robbing pressure is now huge and I think to have mixed syrup today would have resulted in carnage.
Absolutely! No matter how careful you are accidents can and will happen. By the time I had done both mixes I was covered in a sugar glaze. The other half doesn’t always understand just how important these creatures and they do seem to be disproportionately affected by a little bit of mess.🫣
No nothing else added Colin but I am hearing great reports about Hive Alive. Apparently helps combat nosema amongst other things. Unfortunately I heard this after I mixed the syrup. I think the only way to thoroughly mix this in would be to set up the pump again and transfer the syrup and additive through it. Alternatively I could put a little in each gallon feeder and give it a good stir. Do you add anything?
I allow 8-10 lbs per hive as a ballpark figure. Some of them coming off the moor are so heavy they won’t take the feed. Others are so light they may take 3 gallons. Both of those scenarios are the rare extremities and most fall somewhere in between. I give them all a first gallon (5 litres) and then on my second feeding round I heft each hive and feed more to any I think need it. Finally I heft those again to see if they need a third gallon.
Hello and thank you for your input. I know what you mean. A large paddle which rotated slowly in the milk so as to maintain an equal temperature throughout. Those stirrers move too slowly to agitate sugar crystals. My tank had one on but it didn’t help so I took it out.
Thanks Gwenyn, I think you use a submersible pump. I prefer the idea of an electric pump, less noisy and easier to start. However the separate suction pipe is handy for “hoovering” sugar off the bottom of the tank. Unfortunately electric trash pumps with an inlet pipe seem to be very expensive.
Hi, Trevor, I'm keen to know the recipe for making the preservative to stop fermentation and eny detail on how mutch you use per litre of 2;1 syrup. Thank you from NZ.
Hi Kyle, I think I can do no better than quote what our National Bee Unit say about thymol. “Fill a small sealable bottle one third full of thymol crystals and then top up the bottle with surgical spirit. Add 2.5 ml of this solution to 4.5 litres of sugar syrup.” After adding this solution to the syrup a lot of the thymol tends to crystallise and float on top but it certainly works. Last week I fed some year old syrup that was treated with thymol. The syrup had darkened in colour a little in storage but absolutely no mould at all.
Sorry Cubrider but I really should have made this clear in the video but completely forgot to say. It is 2:1 ratio and to be honest it’s the only mix I ever use. I think any surplus stores better than 1:1.
@swaleshoney I see so many different recipes. Some say 1:1 is 1kg of sugar to 1lt water and 2:1 is obviously 2kg to 1lt water but my club ( Chesterfield bee keepers ass) say 1kg to 640ml.
@@Cubrider Yes confusion abounds on this subject. I have just worked out that I am 1kg to 630ml. I don’t worry about it being exact but I’m happy as long as it’s a good thick syrup. You get a feel for these things after 49 years. The bees will take care of the finer detail. Good luck.
Nice work and very nice mixing tank. Blessings and stay well.
Thank you for your kind comment. It is much appreciated.
Interesting how little of that solution is required to prevent fermentation.
Another class video, thank you.
Thanks Patrick. It doesn’t take much at all and to my shame I just add a good glug. I should be more scientific I know but regardless of the amount or strength of the mix it all seems to crystallise and float on top of the syrup.
Very little if any seems to stay in soloution and I’m not sure if the same effect couldn’t be achieved by simply sprinkling thymol crystals on top.
I fed some bees yesterday with the last of last years syrup. A year old and perhaps slightly darker in colour but absolutely no sign of fermentation.
You can add a small amount of Potassium Sorbate which will inhibit mould, yeasts and microbes. It's very affective, inexpensive and used in home brewing.
Hello Trevor! Congratulations on the first thousand subscribers! 👏🎉👏🎉 I want this number to multiply by another thousand!!!
Take care of yourself and your family! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🤝🤝🤝🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🐝🐝🐝✌✌✌
Hello Ivan. Thank you for your observation and kind and encouraging comment. Keep safe.
🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦👏👏👏🐝🐝🐝🤝🤝🤝🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
We mix using an electric trash pump in the blue plastic clamp top 50 gallon barrels, pump outlet comes up to a manifold and in mix mode it just recirculates, outlet goes to the bottom of the tank at an angle, it causes constant turbulence so sugar never gets to settle, we can then run a 11/2 inch hose to tank on truck, once sugar is mixed open valve to tank and slowly close re circulate valve, tank in truck is an ex window cleaners fresh water tank.
Thank you beekeeperkev. An excellent soloution to what can be an awkward task. Bee farmers are by and large a very practical and resourceful group of individuals.👍
Good use of an old milk tank.
Thanks Andrew and yes it is. The biggest problem was securing and welding the outlet valve on. I think these tanks originally had a “bath plug” type of bung on the end of a stainless steel rod. I couldn’t find anything suitable so my friend welded me the valve in place.
Cam lock fitting for the pump and hoses would make it a lot quicker to hook up.
I’m surprised you didn’t have any wasps come. I mixed up 100 liters this morning and had 30 wasps come add themselves to the mix.
Hello Graeme, yes you’re right, cam lock fittings would be a better option but the screw connectors are as supplied. Awkward yes but thankfully this is a once a year job.I usually have some syrup to carry over for emergencies the following year.
I don’t feed any syrup unless I really have to.
I don’t know how I get away without bees and wasps but I have never yet had a problem. Perhaps you could try mixing earlier in the year.
I am just taking the last of the heather honey off and the robbing pressure is now huge and I think to have mixed syrup today would have resulted in carnage.
Nice to see the redundant milk tank in use again i remember the advice i was given if you want a divorce mix it in the kitchen
Absolutely! No matter how careful you are accidents can and will happen.
By the time I had done both mixes I was covered in a sugar glaze.
The other half doesn’t always understand just how important these creatures and they do seem to be disproportionately affected by a little bit of mess.🫣
Another great insight to how things are done when you have a lot of hives, many thanks
Thank you Martin. We have to find shortcuts wherever possible.
Great video as usual, how much does a ton of sugar cost
Hello Rob, at the moment sugar in 25 kg bags is about £1,000/tonne.
I bought that at Makro for £22.99/bag. Total = £919.60.
Thanks Trevor, expensive stuff sugar but nothing is cheap in beekeeping
Good Vid Trevor the joys of making up syrup for the bees , do you add anything else to the mix to help winter build up?
No nothing else added Colin but I am hearing great reports about Hive Alive.
Apparently helps combat nosema amongst other things.
Unfortunately I heard this after I mixed the syrup. I think the only way to thoroughly mix this in would be to set up the pump again and transfer the syrup and additive through it.
Alternatively I could put a little in each gallon feeder and give it a good stir.
Do you add anything?
Another great video Trevor, thanks. Do you stay feeding until you think they’re heavy enough or have you a set amount you want to get into them?
I allow 8-10 lbs per hive as a ballpark figure. Some of them coming off the moor are so heavy they won’t take the feed. Others are so light they may take 3 gallons.
Both of those scenarios are the rare extremities and most fall somewhere in between.
I give them all a first gallon (5 litres) and then on my second feeding round I heft each hive and feed more to any I think need it. Finally I heft those again to see if they need a third gallon.
Hi Trevor, another great video. Do you feed the syrup one to one, or two to one please for the winter, thank you
@@SJ-lh8ex Thank you. Two to one for winter feed. I also tend to use this in spring in an emergency. I don’t feed syrup as a spring stimulant.
@@swaleshoneyThank you for taking the time to reply
Hi Trevor i seem to remember a milk tank with a n adjutator whichyou might find of use
Hello and thank you for your input. I know what you mean. A large paddle which rotated slowly in the milk so as to maintain an equal temperature throughout.
Those stirrers move too slowly to agitate sugar crystals.
My tank had one on but it didn’t help so I took it out.
Good video. We use a very similar method too.
Thanks Gwenyn, I think you use a submersible pump. I prefer the idea of an electric pump, less noisy and easier to start. However the separate suction pipe is handy for “hoovering” sugar off the bottom of the tank.
Unfortunately electric trash pumps with an inlet pipe seem to be very expensive.
Hi, Trevor, I'm keen to know the recipe for making the preservative to stop fermentation and eny detail on how mutch you use per litre of 2;1 syrup. Thank you from NZ.
Hi Kyle, I think I can do no better than quote what our National Bee Unit say about thymol.
“Fill a small sealable bottle one third full of thymol crystals and then top up the bottle with surgical spirit. Add 2.5 ml of this solution to 4.5 litres of sugar syrup.”
After adding this solution to the syrup a lot of the thymol tends to crystallise and float on top but it certainly works.
Last week I fed some year old syrup that was treated with thymol. The syrup had darkened in colour a little in storage but absolutely no mould at all.
@@swaleshoney Trevor thank you for taking the time to answer my question I really appreciate it.
Is this classed as 1:1 or 2:1 and is this the only strength you use?
Sorry Cubrider but I really should have made this clear in the video but completely forgot to say.
It is 2:1 ratio and to be honest it’s the only mix I ever use.
I think any surplus stores better than 1:1.
@swaleshoney I see so many different recipes. Some say 1:1 is 1kg of sugar to 1lt water and 2:1 is obviously 2kg to 1lt water but my club ( Chesterfield bee keepers ass) say 1kg to 640ml.
@@Cubrider Yes confusion abounds on this subject. I have just worked out that I am 1kg to 630ml. I don’t worry about it being exact but I’m happy as long as it’s a good thick syrup. You get a feel for these things after 49 years.
The bees will take care of the finer detail. Good luck.