Author:
Barbara
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:21 pm (GMT 0)
Dusko, I appreciate you qualified your suggestion to feed with the condition "if very little honey in combs". I HAD read this before I posted.
However you also posted "Feed the newly catched swarm or split to help them produce wax for comb building. They need lots of wax."
You are judging this situation from the only experience you have which was of last season's shocking weather in northern Europe. My bees also (as I stated in my post) swarmed because they were starving last summer, but as I have beekeeping experience of other summers, I know that this was quite unusual, therefore I advised this poster, taking into consideration their circumstances. Ideally one should not feed swarms unless conditions are really poor. Nectar is the best fuel for bees whether they are wax building or raising brood. If there is plenty to be had locally, it is better that they gather that than eat syrup.
As regards one extreme to the other, we had a terrible job persuading you to feed your bees syrup last year when they desperately needed it and now you are encouraging others to do it when it is not needed.... to me that is opposite extremes!
Anyway, I had also read and contributed to Dr Teeth's previous post asking about harvesting because the hive was full to bursting, a couple of weeks ago, so I know the hive has plenty of honey.
Regards
Barbara
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Bees have been living with me since they arrived as a swarm 14yrs ago. I knew nothing then, but they are slowly teaching me!
Perone says: a lot of honey, a lot of peace and a lot of (comb) space. Just make sure the bees have plenty to feed on and plenty of combs for egg laying. If the bees are short of either they dwindle, swarm or do other stuff.
