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New Zealand Beekeeping Forums
NZ Beginner Beekeepers
Do I extract or leave for winter feed?
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<blockquote data-quote="tristan" data-source="post: 9635" data-attributes="member: 30"><p>first thing is be aware that clubs can have meh beeks running them and can give poor advice.</p><p></p><p>the 2nd is you don't feed hives over winter. winter is not the danger time for lack of feed. even in the warm north, they simply do not use much.</p><p>the danger time is spring. where people get caught out is spring is on them before they know it and are running late.</p><p></p><p>get any feeding done before winter. if in doubt leave extra on. treatment in the honey (which they will eat) is not a big deal. certainly not one to risk killing a hive over.</p><p></p><p>we are talking 3/4 boxes here so bare minimum is go into winter with TWO brood boxes full. none of this "try it with one" stuff. you don't need to kill hives to learn something (think of the poor bees!). having a 3rd full of stores is perfectly fine.</p><p></p><p>its a fair bit of work for bees to work sugar every time they are fed and winter bees are not really suited to it (they are longer lived bees).</p><p>so the idea is you use the worker bees to pack feed away before the hives reduces for winter (which is what bees do anyway). those bees are going to die off anyway, might as well have them do useful stuff before they go. </p><p>once the hive has reduced down to winter size, you want as less work for them as possible. so no opening hives, feeding etc. </p><p>set them up for winter then leave them alone.</p><p></p><p>one of the other problems of winter feed is it stimulates brood rearing. you build up the hive over winter. come spring you have a hive bursting at the seams and, especially in your area, you will run straight into swarming issues.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="tristan, post: 9635, member: 30"] first thing is be aware that clubs can have meh beeks running them and can give poor advice. the 2nd is you don't feed hives over winter. winter is not the danger time for lack of feed. even in the warm north, they simply do not use much. the danger time is spring. where people get caught out is spring is on them before they know it and are running late. get any feeding done before winter. if in doubt leave extra on. treatment in the honey (which they will eat) is not a big deal. certainly not one to risk killing a hive over. we are talking 3/4 boxes here so bare minimum is go into winter with TWO brood boxes full. none of this "try it with one" stuff. you don't need to kill hives to learn something (think of the poor bees!). having a 3rd full of stores is perfectly fine. its a fair bit of work for bees to work sugar every time they are fed and winter bees are not really suited to it (they are longer lived bees). so the idea is you use the worker bees to pack feed away before the hives reduces for winter (which is what bees do anyway). those bees are going to die off anyway, might as well have them do useful stuff before they go. once the hive has reduced down to winter size, you want as less work for them as possible. so no opening hives, feeding etc. set them up for winter then leave them alone. one of the other problems of winter feed is it stimulates brood rearing. you build up the hive over winter. come spring you have a hive bursting at the seams and, especially in your area, you will run straight into swarming issues. [/QUOTE]
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Do I extract or leave for winter feed?
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