Feeding Bees and Starvation

June gap -starvation risk

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation

Just to remind all beekeepers, that the June gap has arrived and large growing colonies and nucs etc. with little or no available forage, can quickly suffer from a shortage of stores.

So be sure to check that your bees have enough food, especially if you have taken off any spring honey. Note that if you add extra frames of sealed stores you should keep them in the brood boxes, so as to avoid getting them mixed up in the honey supers. Also, if you have to feed directly, use a light syrup (i.e. 1:1 sugar/water ratio) with any honey supers taken off during the feeding process.

Starvation Warning!!🐝

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

In most areas of the UK our Bee Inspectors carrying out inspections over the last few days are seeing bee colonies which are extremely short of food stores within hives. Sadly, we have also attended apiaries where colonies have already died as a result of starvation.

After such a prolonged wet and cold Spring beekeepers should monitor their colony food levels closely, particularly if apiaries have not been visited for some time. Despite the forecast suggesting that temperatures will increase during this week colonies will still need to be checked for food levels.

Feed can be prepared from refined white sugar and water mixed at a 2:1 ratio or one of the proprietary ready mixed syrups available from beekeeping equipment suppliers.

More information about mixing up sugar can be found in the Best Practice Guidelines found on BeeBase.

https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/3_Resources_for_beekeepers/Best_practice_guidelines/BPG_7a_Feeding_Bees_-_sugar.pdf

If you have any questions then please contact your local Inspector:

https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/contact-us/ National Bee Unit

URGENT:Starvation risk warning!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA, Varroa

Given the continuing inclement weather and the increasing amount of brood being produced. This is to remind beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores (especially nucs), particularly if you didn’t give yours a full winter feed at the end of last season.

So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy and recheck regularly!

This is also a good time to treat for Varroa while brood numbers are still low.

Starvation risk warning!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA, Varroa

Just to advise beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores (especially nucs), particularly if you didn’t give yours a full winter feed at the end of last season.

So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!) and recheck regularly!

This is also a good time to treat for Varroa while brood numbers are low.