Plenty brood, no stores

[Derek Uchman]

Opened my three hives for the first time this year. Two had been fed in early spring with syrup, and one had a super full of honey over the winter. All three queens are laying very well, but the hive which had the super has no stores at all. Should I feed? The oilseed rape has just started to flower nearby.

[drumgerry]

If they have NO stores they are in danger of starvation. I would feed immediately if it was me. Not sure what the weather forecast is in terms of them replenishing their stores from OSR. The simple fact though is they need food and now if they have no stores.

[Neils]

I agree with Gerry. If they've got no stores at all, you should feed them (with the super off), a big colony can starve very quickly with a few days of bad weather. You don't have to feed gallons of syrup, a litre or two in a contact or rapid feeder may well be enough but I'm a believer in little and often when it comes to feeding unless there's a good reason to give them bucket loads like a light hive preparing for winter.

[crabbitdave]

Hi guys I have the opposite I checked one of my hives today plenty seams of bees loads of stores, pollen going in, but not a single Egg the queen was a late one from last year and she was laying going into the winter but now nothing all very strange ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Derek Uchman]

Thanks, everyone. I'll get some syrup sorted out in the next couple of days

[gavin]

Tricky one. Sitting just a few miles from you, I know that you'll have lots of dandelion locally, suburban flowers and flowering trees, and as you say rape coming out. Also yesterday was a good foraging day as is today, and conditions will not be so bad after that. When you were looking at frames did you not see fresh nectar? There shouldn't really be a need to feed, unless they really do have zero stores then a little insurance may be worthwhile. On the other hand syrup will encourage them to keep building.

You can't rely on much from the rape. Some years nectar will flood in, but conditions have to be right and they don't seem right now. It needs moisture and humidity and well as some warmth and a lack of much wind. Humid, muggy, damp soil times are the best - it seems a little dry to me.