Feeding Bees Part 1: Pollen Substitute and Sugar Syrup - How, What and Why

[@larryjennings4663]

Hi Bob. My name is Larry Jennings, I live in SW Virginia, and have been a beekeeper for over 50 of my 90 plus years. Amazingly, even though for many of those 50 years I was active in the Blue Ridge Beekeepers Assn. (Roanoke, VA.). both going through the chairs and teaching new as well as advanced beekeepers, I still nearly every day learn something new about beekeeping either from working with the bees or watching videos on You Tube, many of which you have produced. You have a clear voice (I'm partially deaf) and your delivery is impeccable. Just wanted to let you know this and that I'll continue looking forward to your programs on You Tube. Best wishes and continued success to you and yours!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Larry. Thank you for the kind words.

[@ZoysiaRUs]

I watch a lot of beekeeping channels and yours is by far the most informative and directed to actually teaching beekeepers. You’re a great teacher and openly pass along information that helps people to be successful. I appreciate you!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks, much appreciated.

[@nate-408]

The need for extra equipment when feeding with buckets, either an empty hive body or a shim, is why I am switching to migratory lids. Thanks for all the great information Bob. Your knowledge is invaluable thanks for sharing.

[@mihai.r-beekeeper5694]

Hello. I proceed as follows: August, September beet sugar syrup 2/1, March, April beet sugar syrup 1/1. I also tried corn syrup and it winters well. I'm not for honey syrup. I do not remove the honey to introduce diluted in the hive. The climate is about the same as in Minneapolis. All the best.

[@johnlehr1036]

Thank you for the informative videos. I appreciate the information that you provided in addition to the feeding topic.

[@JamesBakerOhio]

You are a wealth of knowledge and it is apparent that you are teaching what you have learned because you add quotes from the material and cite sources. Thanks for sharing your wisdom 👍

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@beebob1279]

I'm using buckets now. What I found to do when putting a bucket on is to squeeze the bucket while it's upright and as I turn it over 'release' the squeeze. This starts the vacuum and I don't get the dripping that you're talking about. It's working for me when I'm feeding. Good point about timing and the moisture content of syrup. Our average first frost where I live is October 15. Health bees going out of the honey flows (low mites) is important. As of September 1 any egg laid where I am is a winter bee. Three weeks to develop and three weeks to remain in the hive as a house bee brings me to October 15th. Then the feeding has to be thick and fast for winter. Nice video.

[@OlJarhead]

Bob... Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge. I am a third year hobby beekeeper in Southern Indiana. I started out by catching a swarm on my property and have split them to where I now have four colonies heading into winter this year. I think that is all I want. I did purchase queens from Joe May in Bloomington the previous two years to add some DNA diversity to my colonies. This year I let my one split successfully make their own queen. You and Kaymon have been a great help in getting me up to speed in a few short years and I greatly appreciate it. I still have a LOT to learn... so keep up the great work in spreading your wealth of knowledge! You are surely a greater influence than you realize!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you and good luck.

[@stufarnham]

I love it when one of us older beeks (I will be 70 at my next birthday). “Oh, yeah!” Says Bob. “Oy!” says Stu. I like your videos because they are real field classes, direct observation and explanation. Thanks!

[@kevinj.monfelt9760]

I've seen tremendous improvement in our colonies since following your feeding practices.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Glad to hear it. Thanks.

[@soulfate2]

Perhaps buckets with UV stability? No breakage? Just an idea

[@geanitsucuneli4791]

Walmart delivery sugar, with $0.36/Lb .... sometimes $0.31/Lb of course if you buy a semiload of 17 pallets.

[@PutEmInTheBox]

Really appreciate the effort you put into citing multiple articles and research documents. Those tidbits really enforce the point you are making to your audience. I enjoy your videos Bob.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@patrickhopton4609]

On the colonies that you leave on the screened bottom boards for the winter (14:40), how do you treat them with with oxalic acid? Dribble?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Pat. We will treat them with oxalic vaporization. It doesn't work as well with a full screen bottom board but with those smaller holes it seems to be Ok. We'll probably start in about one month and do it twice, two weeks apart.

[@patrickhopton4609]

@@bobbinnie9872 Got it. Another great video. We all appreciate you doing these - thank you.

[@kipglass6222]

Bob, are my computations wrong? Near the end of the video saying you fed 4 gallons of 1:1 syrup to build up that colony. Water weighs 8.34 lbs per gallon, to make this easy let's just say 8. 4 gal. x 8 lbs is 32 lbs. So as your caption said, if sugar was 50 cents per lbs, that would be $8. You use 32 lbs so it should be $16. Correct?

[@kipglass6222]

@@bobbinnie9872 I'm not quite certain what that answer means. Let me rephrase the question. To make 4 gallons of 1:1 syrup, how many pound of dry granulated sugar is in that mix?

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@kipglass6222 Sorry, I gave my explanation in a hurry. I should have waited until I had time to do it right. I'm going to delete it because it's confusing. I actually mentioned in print near the end of the video that I was using syrup that was 1 part sugar to 1.5 parts water for those colonies. This ratio weighs around 10 pounds per gallon (sugar syrup is heavier than water.) This ratio syrup would have 4 pounds of sugar and 6 pounds of water. 4 gallons would have 16 pounds of sugar. At $.50 pound it would come to $8.00. Thanks.

[@whosranch]

Bob what would you do if found a queen less hive and had no queen to introduce to hive?

[@bobbinnie9872]

If it's early enough in the season and the colony hasn't been queen-less long we might give it a couple of frames of brood making sure it has eggs and let them raise another queen. If it looks like it's been queen-less awhile we stack the equipment on top of a queen-rite colony over a queen excluder and retrieve the equipment on our next visit. Or we may blow the bees out in the middle of the bee yard and let them integrate with the closest colonies. If we have single story colonies in the yard we might use the equipment to add another story.

[@mimibergerac7792]

There is a research paper in the Journal of Economic Entomology showing that 10 to 100ppm of chlorine dioxide in 50% sugar solution significantly increased the longevity of bees.

[@michaelposner3994]

I can't get those yellow plugs with a screen to stay in the bucket. They pop out when I try to flip them over. Any idea? Using a two inch plug with a two inch hole drilled with forstner bit.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We use an adjustable cutter bit for our plugs and make the hole a bit smaller. I'll show that in part 2 soon.

[@johnniecarter3013]

Bob does cane sugar do more bad than good for the bees than “table” sugar? Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us!,

[@johnniecarter3013]

I really should wait to ask my questions after I watch the entire video. 😂😂

[@bobbinnie9872]

Table syrup as mentioned is bad for bees. I think of this as being pancake syrup and the like. Table sugar would be granulated cane sugar like what you buy at Wal Mart and is much better for the bees.

[@daryldaigle7214]

Bob, where do you get the removable plugs for the feeder buckets? Do you sell them? Thanks for your wealth of knowledge you share with us .

[@dwightcarter6334]

On topic of fermenting syrup.... What if a hive takes over a week to take a gallon of syrup? Should I pull it and give them fresh?

[@bobbinnie9872]

As long as the syrup was fresh when you put it on a week is OK. At 1 week you may sense a little smell but as I mentioned in the video bees seem to metabolize a little alcohol just fine as we do. Of course large amounts will make them sick.

[@dwightcarter6334]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks! Love what you do!!

[@steveb8131]

Great video Bob. I'm curious on what you recommend for water temperature when you mix in the sugar. My understanding is hot but not boiling?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Our on demand hot water heater for mixing sugar syrup is set to 135f and works up to 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. The thicker 2 to 1 syrup has to be stirred a little longer than 1 to 1.

[@paulschaefer5241]

An idea you might consider would be to use the white buckets but get some of the UV protectant often sold for automobile detailing to protect plastic parts for the effects of sunlight.

[@beebob1279]

I started using buckets two years ago. I found that if I squeeze the bucket while it's upright and then turn it over on the hive lid I don't get drip. Try it and see if it works for you.

[@bobbinnie9872]

It does work, Thanks.

[@jasonadams3781]

Ready for part 2. Interested in the buckets and plugs.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Jason. Part 2 is coming. I've been buried in preparations for a third party food safety audit (mountains of paper work).

[@jasonadams3781]

@@bobbinnie9872 oh my. I knew it would make it. Those audits and inspections are wonderful aren't they. Lol. Hopebyou had a great Thanksgiving and I look forward to part 2. Thanks for all you do Bob!

[@markspc1]

Great instructional video Bob. Thank you. Did you consider painting your black buckets white to minimize overheating ?

[@Biopaseka]

Интересная информация. Мы не даём пыльцу осенью. У нас много пыльцы в сентябре. Interesting information. We don't give pollen in the fall. We have a lot of pollen in September

[@mckeeshoneybees8351]

Hi Bob, how long do you think it takes a full size colony to evaporate the moisture out of the syrup they take down? 2 winters ago, a lot of my dead outs had frames in them with what seemed like straight water. Last year I fed 2:1 and fed earlier to prevent that. Thanks again. Always great info.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We try to have all feeding done at least three weeks before the daytime temps are consistently below 50f. For us that's early to mid November. And yes, it's important to switch to thick syrup towards the end unless you're finished early and they have extra time. To answer your question, it probably takes two or three weeks with 2 to 1 if it's late in the season when it's cool. It really depends on temperature and humidity. In arid areas like parts of the southwest it's a non issue

[@mckeeshoneybees8351]

@@bobbinnie9872 thanks for all your info Bob. It has helped me tremendously.

[@JimWellman]

13:07 I've been squeezing the air out after filling up the bucket. I continue to squeeze until the bucket has been flipped over and installed on the hive. Creates an instant vacuum. Seems to work most of the time; however, the ants always seem to find my mess.

[@wethepeople536]

Thank you for the video! Love the information

[@muleskinner485]

Bob you put together the best videos on bee-keeping, you have made good use of the gift you have been given and shared it , when are you publishing the book ,or books ? sure do appreciate you as do thousands of others , thanks and God Bless ............

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks, maybe a retirement project.

[@lisamcfarland8518]

I have always wondered how you keep from smashing them with movement so close to them? Are they just really good at not getting in the way?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We try to be careful but we lose a few.

[@PaulSmith-qu3jq]

What can I do about my sugar syrup fermenting it does it weeks after I’ve feed it and u can smell it when you get into the hive not sure if that’s normal but it’s don’t it ever time I’ve feed it even with honeybee healthy or a vinegar additive

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'm guessing you are seeing that in a division board feeder. I'm not sure I've ever seen that after the bees have taken the syrup down but I have seen it in feeders plenty. We try to only give the bees what they can take within four or five days to avoid that. Also, as I mentioned in the video, the bees can metabolize small amounts of alcohol without noticeable issues.

[@pauldavis1586]

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[@beebuzyquilter8602]

Hi Bob. It may be a bit of work, but painting the black buckets white may give you the best of both buckets.....

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'm sure that would work and this may be the winter we get around to doing that.

[@kelitagedifarm4893]

Information with explanation equals education. What Bob is putting out in these videos is pure gold, especially for beekeepers located in the southeast U.S. You might have to tweak and modify it a little bit to fit your season and situation where you're located, but this is about as middle of the road as you can get. Bob, I appreciate your thoughts and efforts in putting these things together for us. God bless you brother.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks you.

[@vanjapejovic7662]

it is very interesting for me you stimulated colonies for brood so late...Here, where I live (southern Europe) , we usually finish that job in August and half Sept...there is opinion ( do not know is it right or not) that "winter" bees should not be burdened with syrup processing.

[@bobbinnie9872]

In most cases I think you are right. It's best if winter bees are quiet for the winter. I believe this video was recorded around the first of October at which time there was still brood being raised and many bees yet to hatch. In our area brood production tapers off completely in late October and although we try to have our feeding completely finished before that time there are seasons when we have to do a bit more for some reason.

[@vanjapejovic7662]

@@bobbinnie9872 thanks for your answer.

[@RyanMcDonnough]

A good solution for the cap & ladder feeders is to install one 1” screw on each side to hold the plastic tight against the wood.

[@LittleFrenchyinBigTexas]

Nice intro. Saw you (and your tee-shirt!) on RidgeLife. We have a couple of bee hives in the country and they give the best honey ever. As long as I am not the one handling them... I enjoy the honey 😀.

[@naturemaster6252]

I really appreciate the time you take to talk about the different aspects of bee keeping.

[@sidestitch2676]

Not everyone is willing to take the time to share the knowledge they’ve gained. I appreciate you doing so. One off topic follow up question or request....you’ve mentioned in several other videos that you prefer painting boxes with oil based primer and two coats of latex acrylic enamel paint. I have been able to find the paint, but am having a devil of a time finding primer that won’t allow knot stains through. Any recommendations? A video on this subject might help folks as well.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We use Sherwin Williams premium oil base primer and have little trouble with knots showing thru. It's not cheap but it's thicker and does a better job than the cheaper brands.

[@markbooth8458]

The bees don't care about the knot stains

[@theheritagehousesc]

Can you paint the black buckets white or cover them with white plastic that would reflect the light a bit?

[@JDS62]

Hi Bob, Just saying thanks again for the info on the pump. Have mine up and running and working great even with the 2-1. Still would love to see Part 2 of this video.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi JD. Part 2 is coming. I've been buried in preparations for a third party food safety audit (lots of paper work).

[@PaulSmith-qu3jq]

How do u stop fermentation of ur sugar syrup or does it matter

[@bobbinnie9872]

We only make what we think we can use within a few days. However, it is OK to put in a little bleach or Honey B Healthy which will curb fermentation for a while.

[@PaulSmith-qu3jq]

@@bobbinnie9872 so what about when it already in the hive and u can smell fermentation like u said I only make what I think can be used up over couple days worried about heavy desintary I’m close to same region as u is why I ask and thank you for the videos and insight

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@PaulSmith-qu3jq When I've seen open honey fermenting in hives there was either not enough bees to cover the open cells of nectar well which can happen if a colony is in decline or it was very warm and humid. I'm sure the same thing could happen with sugar syrup. If it's not excessive hopefully the bees can overcome it and clean it up before cold weather sets in. They're pretty good at cleaning up messes if they're healthy and strong.

[@PaulSmith-qu3jq]

@@bobbinnie9872 thank u so very much for your time so could possible add couple frames of emergening brood may possible help add strength and assist with problem

[@lee22822]

Hi Bob I treated 3 intervals of Oxalic acid couple months ago, mite is 0. My question is should I still do treatment in Nov or Dec? Watching another one of your great videos you referenced to August to be thought of the starting point of a bee season and to start weekly treatments to control mite population. I could have got it wrong? I was thinking all set till Feb March can u set me straight👍

[@bobbinnie9872]

I don't know where you're located but if you're bees go brood-less in winter I would advise doing Oxalic vaporization at that time no matter what your mite count is. It's the most effective while being the least toxic and most harmless thing you can do so why not. Clearing the mites out at that time will hopefully allow you to make it without treating until next August.

[@lee22822]

Bob Binnie thank you 😊

[@lee22822]

Bob Binnie I forgot should have included,I did vapor treatment and I live in eastern coast of Massachusetts where the temps get chilly. Ty

[@joelwhite4963]

I am east of Athens. It has been a great fall here, the asters and golden rod have gone crazy. Also I had seeded my pasture with white clover and it has started flowering as well. One question- do you ever worry about a hive being "honey bound" and not having room for brood or pollen? I have heavy hives with good pollen stores and still decent brood areas. If I continue feeding thin syrup is there a risk of feeding too much?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, it can be a problem if they plug out too soon. We try to meter things so they backfill the brood nest as the brood naturally gets smaller. In the end,and when the time is right we make them quite heavy.

[@3Beehivesto300]

90 mm thickness on the bucket helps

[@menelaos8994]

Impressive videos! bibliographies and actions as it should be! Thanks for the knowledge, Greetings from Greece.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you.

[@troyfischer9202]

What size hole do you use for the feed drip? And how many holes?

[@bobbinnie9872]

1/16 inch with 6 to 10.

[@riccardostefaniape]

Hi, is it possible to insert subtitles and translation option in videos? I'am Italian beekeeper. I am interested in understanding better. thank you

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'll look into that, thank you.

[@madmort0madmort072]

aside from the awesome knowledge that im getting from these videos. the scenic beauty right around 17 minutes is beyond words.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks, we occasionally have to remind ourselves how lucky we are to live and work here. You might like our video "Beekeeping in Appalachia". kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4PYfYeHn5mWh68

[@madmort0madmort072]

@@bobbinnie9872 you were 100 percent correct thats some beautiful country.

[@taddrienstra7247]

Any thoughts on feeding here in Hawaii where the temps never go below 60? Should I fuss with different ratios? Or, is there still benefits?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Honestly, I am clueless about beekeeping in Hawaii.

[@annettemarydever7207]

I lost a lot of bees using those Mann Lake feeders!!! The bottom of the plastic split open and the bees could not get back up into the hive and just died in the syrup I took off the wooden top and put corks and also swimming pool floating tubes that floats and put those across the length of feeder. They are easy to cut with a bread knife about 1/4” thick or more.

[@anypis123]

I am quite curious how much sugar is sufficient for wintering? Once I fed my bees too often, in October there was no space left for brood. Hive was full of capped syrup and pollen, very small area of brood. What is the balance for wintering?

[@bobbinnie9872]

It's OK to plug them out like you describe just asa brood rearing is slowing but not while they are still rearing brood. We slowly fill the hives up as brood production is decreasing.

[@terrydoublin1398]

What kind of plug are you using in your buckets? Do they have a screen or just a small hole?

[@terrydoublin1398]

Sorry should have watched all the video before I ask. Thanks for all you do.

[@patrickwalsh2006]

Thank you this helps a lot new to bees in NC fort Bragg

[@drrota]

I like that you included quotes in your video - it really makes for a much more rock solid video - we hear it and see it in real life too. Many videos I see are just "here's what I do", with no proof or history/provenance behind why you do it. - excellent job!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@melindabeckerbjj]

I’m curious I am extremely new, as in picking up a nuc next month. I had read that you should feed a pollen patty and sugar syrup both for a nuc. What are your thoughts? I love all of your videos, so much knowledge and the art of sifting though it is fantastic.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Melinda. Feeding both is recommended if there is not a pollen and nectar flow. Depending on where you live you may have both when you pick up your nuc. A pollen flow is easy to spot. If you see multiple bees coming home with pollen on their legs you don't need to feed a protein patty. You will know if there is a nectar flow because the bees will ignore the sugar syrup. If the colony has not drawn out all the comb needed by the time the flow is over you can resume feeding 1 to 1 sugar syrup to help them finish before the season is over.

[@crabmanbc21]

Very informative, thank you for sharing. My wife said hi to you the other day in the office sorry I missed ya.

[@bamabeesqueens]

Great vivideo. Do you do record keeping? I never see you taking notes, putting bricks on lids... how do you keep up with it?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We keep records by writing on the lids with queen markers. I'll try to show that in one of our future videos. Thanks.

[@bamabeesqueens]

@@bobbinnie9872 thank you. Look forward. Can you show if there is any tracking of what queens are sold to who. I am trying to come up with a system without over complicating it or making it too simple ie brick on lid. So if I start getting aggressive bees or some other trait I don't want. I can cull it out without requeen the whole yard. Thanks for your help

[@ke6gwf]

Another enjoyable Wisdom Archive video that someday will be quoted just as you quote from Brother Andrew! Thank you for doing these. On the buckets, the black lasts longer because, just like melanin in skin, the dark material blocks uv rays from going deeper below the surface. It's why black tarps last longer than clear tarps, and also one reason tires are black. But then if you painted the black buckets white, which reflects the heat and light, you could get longevity without the overheating. If you got the right type of paint, or sanded (maybe sand blasted?) the surface, it would last a while, but even latex paint would probably last a few years before it all flaked off and didn't keep it cool anymore. It wouldn't take long with a paint sprayer and maybe some light colored mis-tinted paint from Home Depot, or ask painting contractors to give you their light colored leftover paint. The other idea I had is to take your failing white buckets, and just drop them on top of the black ones until they totally fall apart. You could get probably at least another season out of them that way.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks, I may borrow part of your comment in "Feeding Bees, Part 2".

[@OutdoorsandCountryLiving]

Good information. Thanks for sharing!

[@framcesmoore]

Bob thank u so much for this video, U answered all my questions I live in Virginia, I did not know when to stop the pollen patties, so I was not going to give them any this week end I was just going to give them the syrup but I changed my mind I love your videos u teach me a lot. U know something else you have a very gentle voice Thank u so much again for giving us your wisdom on taking care of the bees. This is really wonderful I hope u have a wonderful week.. God Bless You your business and your family

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Frances, thanks.

[@VENAL]

Wouldn't it be stressful for the colony to feed with sugar syrup when raining, All that because of the increased level of humidity in the air?

[@bobbinnie9872]

It's never ideal to do anything to a colony in the rain, but I've not noticed a major problem feeding the way we do.

[@clintwall8457]

Bob thank you for you info. Can you please comment on the dimensions of your lip on the migratory covers. We are wanting to add shims to our lids for extra bee space and patties etc. I would like to know the thickness measurement for your spacers you settled on. Thank you for sharing your experience

[@bobbinnie9872]

The spacers we use when putting on patties are 3/4 inch. This insures that the bees can get around it entirely because our patties are 1/2 inch or less.

[@aymickey]

I hope you don’t mind me saying that you could still use a black bucket, but paint it with UV white paint then it would reflect the heat, where black absorbs the heat

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks, we've taken to that.

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

We get these long pollen dearths once the sweet clover gets going yellow then white about time that winding down napweed then loosestrife around napweed i gob on 5lb patties then pollen starts again around loosestrife mid aug .. Plenty of pollen out there but once that sweet clover nectar starts like all they want .. Bees fly right past basswood for that sweet clover .. Only time i get basswood is dry years when the sweet clover doesn't go ..

[@bobbinnie9872]

Bees having more than one nectar to choose from sounds like a good problem.

[@troyfischer9202]

Where do you buy your buckets and paint plugs?

[@bobbinnie9872]

The plugs can be purchased in large quantities from Beeks & co. in Atlanta or smaller numbers from our store, 706 782 6722. We purchase the buckets by the pallet from Pipeline Packaging in Kennesaw, GA and cut the holes ourselves, for our own use and to sell. Any one or two gallon bucket with a good seal should work. The holes drilled in the plugs are 1/16 inch.

[@93Oussi]

Hi! I was wondering if feeding bees syrup effects the honey?

[@bobbinnie9872]

It will effect harvested honey if fed when surplus supers are on.

[@peterlewis5119]

Do your lids have gaskets, and if so, can you recommend a good source of buckets with gasket lids? As always, thanks for your sage advice.

[@bobbinnie9872]

The bucket lids do have gaskets but they're not as good as we would like. Once the tear tab is removed from the lid they are prone to leaking. I've experienced this with all the brands I've tried so we never take the tear tab or the lid off of the bucket. Once the lid is on we remove the plug for both filling and cleaning. We get our buckets from Pipeline Packaging in Kennesaw, Ga. but they have multiple warehouses around the country.

[@peterlewis5119]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks much, Bob

[@christianshannon3943]

Hey Mr Binney, Have y’all ever had a problem with EFB and if so how did you get the hives to overcome it . I’ve lost six hives to it this year . I had to remove them since those colonies collapsed within a month. I destroyed all affected brood frames . I have one colony that I feel is strong enough to overcome it. I consolidated all the brood into the lower brood chamber. I wonder if our cold nights in Virginia is stressing the smaller colonies and thus allowing the EFB to develop. I used pre-made pollen substitute patties back in February and feeding them these patties my colonies started developing these issues. My back is against the wall !

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Christian. It's possible to get a prescription for terramycin from a vet which takes it out very fast when mixed with powdered sugar.. Thymol type treatments such as Apiguard can also help. Also try Pro Health from Mann Lake in sugar syrup. It has lemongrass oil and thymol which both help. Good luck.

[@viscache1]

Really cool feeder but how many of us does Mann Lake think need a minimum of 180 syrup feeders? Most of us are running 100 hives or fewer…that just makes an extra expense.

[@BiogasUSA]

Bob, I understand why you use 2:1 instead of 1:1 in colder months. I am wondering what advantages lead you to use 1:1 instead of 2:1 in warmer months?

[@bobbinnie9872]

If we want to put on weight quickly we use 2 to 1 but summer we want to keep them stimulated with a moderate flow of syrup without putting on too much weight too soon. We'll plug them out for winter later.

[@brucesouthernsassapiaries8316]

Hey Bob, I had to laugh when you got to the feeding section done on the 10th....I was feeding my bees there in Hiawassee on the same day and experienced the same thoughts about "warm and fuzzy" not being in my bees vocabulary that day!!! Great info, thanks for the videos!

[@jeremyhuggins8796]

No joke Bruce! 😂 I was working my bees the same day as well, and they did NOT like it!

[@christophebuisson7536]

hello BOB, your videos are so helpful, I am trying to locate the plastic cap that goes on the lid to the feeder (with drilled holes), can you guide as to where to buy those ? Thank you

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi. You can order large cases of them without holes from , www.penpoly.com/ or get them from us with holes at Blue Ridge Honey Co. 706 782 6722 You can see how we prepare them in our video " Feeding Bees Part 3 - Types of Sugar Syrup and Feeders We Use" kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJu4m61-edaIqqM

[@donw1864]

Bob Do you overwinter most of your production hives in a single deep brood box? If so do you expect most of the racks to be full of pollen or stored sugar water that you feed in the fall. I’m in greenville sc so the weather would be about the same for us as for you. Thanks for your great videos.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Don. Greenville is about two weeks earlier than us in the spring and a bit cooler in the winter. Although I prefer double deeps and have better results overwintering colonies that way I always have a lot of singles for one reason or another and have few problems with them as long as I pack them with feed at the right time. Too soon or too late and results aren't quite as good. We start feeding thin syrup when the golden rod is blooming and there's a lot of pollen coming in and finish with something a bit thicker in October.

[@donw1864]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you Bob for such a thorough explanation. I ve had colonies starve during harsh winters with an abundance of honey in a super. I think a loaded bottom box is far more important. On a totally different matter, and no way trying to take advantage of your online friendship, I want to mention that my sons and I own Century Printing and Packaging . We ve been in business for 24 years, employ about 30 people. (I’m mostly retired). We print pressure sensitive labels and I could tell from your bottling video that you use a lot of labels. We would love the opportunity to give you a quote on what you use, or if you ever needed some special configuration, or something with a very fast turnaround, we would try to do it for you. You can see our web site at Cpandp.com. Have a great holiday weekend.

[@tnsoftailrider]

Bob, What are you using to seal the hole in the lid when there isn't a bucket on top? BTW, I love watching your videos.

[@bobbinnie9872]

The hole is 71mm which is the size of a standard quart jar lid. With that hole we can feed with 5 lb. honey jars or buckets and use can use a jar lid to plug the hole when not feeding.

[@ColesFarmNC]

Great video and thanks for sharing. Would you mind sharing where someone can purchase the bucket plugs from?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Links and info in "Feeding Bees Part 3"video description. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJu4m61-edaIqqM

[@ColesFarmNC]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks, Mr. Binnie.

[@alexayounginsong2641]

Bob, When do you use frame feeder and when do you use bucket feeder? Thanks in advance~

[@bobbinnie9872]

Frame feeders are good for putting on weight fast and bucket feeders are good for metering feed out at a moderate rate. We've been using buckets for the last month but some colonies are getting inside feeders this week if they have not yet gained enough weight for winter.

[@alexayounginsong2641]

@@bobbinnie9872 Aha... So for winter gaining weight, Frame feeders would be the way. Thanks!

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@alexayounginsong2641 I have a video coming out Sunday showing us doing this.

[@calvinlomsdalen9987]

Bob I love the way you explain the things you do , very easy to follow and understand. I cannot wait until next Bee season to put what I have learned into my operation. Thanks again for what you do and keep them coming.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@wlwarp1]

I’m I the only one that’s looks at my KZbin feed going, C’Mon Bob....teach me man :). Keep up the great videos. Patiently waiting for part 2

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

Hey Bob where do you get the bucket plugs and what size hole do you bore in them lids?

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'm going to address that in part 2 coming soon.

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank You.

[@brianstage887]

What do you use to keep the feeder hole sealed and or plugged, when you are not feeding syrup to the bees?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We use a 70g one piece lid as a plug. It's the same lid we use on our jars.

[@brianstage887]

@@bobbinnie9872 thank you very much.

[@lindahopkins4091]

Setting up my bee yard... where is the ideal location to put my bees community water source. Also best placement of community pollen sub? I will be receiving 2 packages of bees in May. Also how far apart is best for placement of 2 hives. I am in gilmer county. Thank you for your videos. They are sure helping to educate me.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Linda. Water can be anywhere nearby. Bees will travel as far as they have too but I like to see it within a hundred yards if possible to save flight time. When feeding anything outside the hive I like to see it outside of the bee-yard to keep the frenzy at a little distance. At least 50 yards distance would help.

[@lindahopkins4091]

@@bobbinnie9872 in placing my first 2 hives do I need to separate them some? Thank you again!

[@gwtill]

Great video and information source. I really like the information slides that you include. Thanks for your time!

[@ishaksoukkou4195]

The painting that you put in order to put the pollen pie so that there is no vacuum and the beetles enter Can I leave it as it is in the winter in order to put the candy for the bees

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'm not familiar with the conditions in your area so I don't know. If we leave pollen patties in our colonies for long they get infested with hive beetles.

[@ishaksoukkou4195]

@@bobbinnie9872 The area where these days temperatures are below 20° and sometimes below zero and snow falls and sometimes disappears not continuously. I mean don't bees get tired of adjusting the temperature when that space that

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@ishaksoukkou4195 It seems as though your weather may be like ours in the winter. We don't feed pollen patties in the winter. We allow the bees to go broodless in mid winter.

[@tprater65]

Greetings from Fresno. I’ve been a big fan of all your videos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge...I always pick up a tip or two from each video.

[@ReederBeekeeping]

Greetings from Porterville neighbor

[@bobbinnie9872]

I pollinated almonds near Fresno in the 80's. I'll bet it's changed a lot since then. Thanks.

[@tprater65]

I remember hearing you say that you pollinated almonds near Madera. The change is big. Grapes have been ripped out for almonds and there’s probably triple the almonds now vs the 80’s. Growers run short on bee boxes every year now days.

[@brettwagner8014]

Hey Mr. Bob the plugs on your buckets were can I get them. Keep up the videos love them all.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Video with all the info very soon.

[@mckeeshoneybees8351]

Hi Bob, I was just curious, I see how big your operation is and how much in house work that you do as far as building boxes , syrup etc,, why do you buy pollen patties from Mann lake? Do you make your own? Do you ever put out dry pollen sub? These are a few questions I haven’t heard you speak about. Thank you for your time.

[@bobbinnie9872]

I have made pollen patties in the past but because we don't use it a lot we just keep it simple and purchase them pre-made. I'm also a Mann Lake dealer so it makes it much cheaper and cost effective when labor is considered. Although I've put dry pollen sub out a few times I currently do it. If I'm going to use pollen sub it's because I think the bees need it and I like to put it in the colony so they'll have it in all weather.

[@mckeeshoneybees8351]

@@bobbinnie9872 gotcha. Thanks for your reply.

[@Villagelife_Yasser]

Very informative and helpful videos for all the beekeepers worldwide. Learned lot of things from you Bob. Thanks for your valuable information.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you.

[@kevinperree7764]

Hey Bob, why the electric fence? 👍👍

[@bobbinnie9872]

We have a large population of bears in our area. No fence, no bees.

[@kevinperree7764]

Bob Binnie ah, all makes sense now. Not many bears in UK. Thank you for that

[@ToBeeOrNotToBeHoney]

Black bucket vs White, Have you tried putting an old broken white bucket over the top of the black one, The white will shield the black from move of the radiant heat. Just wondering

[@bobbinnie9872]

That would definitely work. For us the challenge is putting everything we need for the day on the truck. Our way of handling black buckets is to try and put them on colonies that can utilize the extra flow.

[@mwoodinchico]

Bob, thanks for the video, if I keep my 1:1 sugar solution with honey bee healthy in a refrigerator, is it still good two months later?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, low temperatures are the biggest help.

[@robinfrazier9763]

Well I watch alot of your videos and enjoy them . I have 14 backyard hives and would like to know if you take all of the honey from your bees in summer in order to feed them like you'll do . I live in s.e. texas where the weather is mostly warm all year . / what to do . Rob.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Rob. When we take the last supers off of singles we always begin feeding back sugar syrup right away because singles often have very little honey below the excluder. Doubles allow us a little more time because we don't remove honey from the second box but we will get around to feeding those too to get them very heavy before winter.

[@stephendawes7016]

why don't you leave a super on with day half fill honey as we do on Aus?

[@jeremyhuggins8796]

Hey Bob, where is the best place to get those ultra bee patties for a hobbyist?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Jeremy. www.mannlakeltd.com/ultra-bee-patties-10-lb-4-54-kg

[@ishaksoukkou4195]

Can we put the diluted syrup in the spring without additives and it will not ferment because feeding in buckets sometimes takes a week

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, if it's gone in one week and the weather has not gotten warm yet.

[@sametschannel]

Hi, How do you make invert sugar go slowly down in to the hive? What is the name and purpose of that silver like cover? What is the name and purpose of the pad like thing under it? How does this kind of feeding work? Thanks

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hello Samet. We meter the amount of syrup going into the hive with the amount of holes we put in the jar lid or bucket plug. The silver cover you are referring too may be the hive lid which is covered in galvanized sheet metal. The pad may be the inner cover which goes under the outer cover (hive lid).

[@scottreese5492]

Do the buckets prevent the sugar water from molding? My round top feeders start molding pretty quick and I assume mold no good

[@bobbinnie9872]

We ether put Honey B Healthy in our syrup or one teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Both help.

[@navyphil6105]

Bob, I live in west Ga so my environment will be similar to yours. When do you start feeding 1x1 sugar syrup and pollen patties in the early part of the year?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We're actually a little cooler than west Georgia. Our yards north of our shop begin bringing in maple pollen the first week in March. and that' when we will begin to feed under normal circumstances. If we have weak colonies or really need to get colonies rearing brood early for some other reason we have put patties on as early as the week after Christmas.

[@chamrongnature]

Great video, thanks for sharing this video !!

[@nigelclarke1721]

Could you put the broken white buckets over the black buckets to keep it cooler?

[@bobbinnie9872]

I'm sure you could. We're going to paint all of our black buckets white this winter.