Feeding Bees For Winter The Simple Way!

In this video I explain how to feed your bees in the autumn to get them ready for winter!
Feeding honeybees sugar is one of the easiest jobs in beekeeping. You can feed them different kinds of feed but at this time of year I would feed either syrup or 2 to 1 (2:1) sugar and water mix.
This time of year we need to get some weight in the hives and we don't want to give the bees too much work to do at this time of year. After all "Winter Is Coming!!!"
The biggest risk of winter feeding is feeding too much too early. We want the queen to lay up winter bees and we want to give the bees a chance to fill the brood box up on honey. Ivy and Balsam are great winter feeds if the bees can work them. After-all the bees will do much better on honey rather than sugar.
Unfortunately some years don't allow this so we as beekeepers need to be on hand to help them out.
If you would like to find out more about me you can visit my website on
www.gwenyngruffydd.co.uk
Or find me on Social media on @Gwenyn Gruffydd

[@chrisfigiel1150]

Great vlog Gruff really good tips and information on feeding in October thanks .👍🐝

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you Chris 😊

[@QuigleysBees]

Fantastic advice for new beekeepers. I had to move my colonies in the autumn and they went into high gear collecting nectar and pollen in the new yard. Fingers crossed that they make it through this first winter we me at the helm. I’ll be watching for any tips you may have for early spring management. Cheers from America.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you John 😊

[@mariuscarrick4256]

Great video as always. 👍

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@polmacbradaigh9506]

You're like the Welsh Ian Stepplar with them sunglasses

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’d take that as a compliment 😎

[@emmawood2784]

Hi love your vids so simple to watch, one question can you save some of your honey from their super and feed it back to them? Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Emma, thank you 😊 Yes you can but I wouldn’t. If you wanted the bees to have the honey don’t take it off the hive. Leave it in the frames for them.

[@paulrobbo216]

So confused about sugar water I’ll start them this Wkend. Just got my Fondabee through the post today too. Exciting times. Cheers Gruff

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@lucydee5706]

I’ve just found your channel and it is fab! First year beekeeper here, and very nervous going into the first winter. We have honey that we’d like to feed back to the bees, can we use our contact feeder to do that? And when would you recommend doing it - I was thinking ASAP but would appreciate your thoughts. Many thanks!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, As long as the honey is from the same hive that’s fine. But if you’ve already extracted the honey I would feed the bees syrup instead. Much easier for you.

[@_J.F_]

I have just finished the initial feeding of my colonies. On average they received about 4 litres of syrup per colony but still have room for brood and then I will reassess when the Ivy flow is over (it has only just started on south facing locations just now). I like to check that they are queenright too at this point and found that they are down to a brood area the size of a hand now, over about 3 frames, so laying has definitely wound down a fair but now. I suppose that a good Ivy flow could trigger some slight growth in brood but aside from that things are for sure slowing down in the apiary. The wasps are still a pain in the rear though.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’m seeing much of the same

[@Aldrahill]

I wish there was a good average of desired weight when hefting, I suck at estimating the weight of my hives :/ my four hives are still full of bees and still have drones currently, in SE England. Gave them all a couple litres of 2:1, plus got apiguard in there now as well.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

As long as it’s heavy next month they will be fine. 😊👍🏻

[@mohamedahmed4511]

thank you sharing for knowledge of the Bee , if can ask you a question I don’t know mush about bee but we got a farm a lemon in Africa Somalia how can I get Queen Bee thanks again ?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, The best thing to do is set up a bait hive to try and catch a wild swarm. You will have a complete hive for free. 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5ewhHmeqrZ6Zpo

[@angelajasmine2281]

You definitely can't heft a top bar hive!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Didn’t think of that!!

[@TH-cl5be]

hello would you know why my bees dont take the syrup down they need it but wont take it, all my other hives take it fine but 1 hive wont ?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, Their either heavy on stores and don’t need it. Or there is something wrong in the hive. No Queen etc

[@TH-cl5be]

@@gwenyngruffydd or dear well ive seen the queen today, do you think it could be the fact there is to much room in the hive ive maybe 5 frames of bees shy

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hard to say. Really good sign that the Queen is there though. Time will tell. Keep offering them feed. It’s suppose to be warm next week.

[@ronaldbarrett9148]

👍👍

[@williamjordan1671]

As always Gruffyd your an absolute breath of fresh air so helpful and appreciated by all here in Pembroke Speak soon

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊👍🏻

[@bradgoliphant]

Hello my brother Gwenyn! I need your advise. Got in my hive today (Sep 27). We are already getting into the 60s and 50s at night. While in the hive, all the frames were packed with honey, packed with bees and saw a lot of capped brood on every frame, but no larva or eggs. Is this normal for this time of year? Could my queen have decided to stop laying for now? I'm a little worried.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Brad, I have seen queens reduce they laying down at this time of year and some stop laying for a while. It could be anything though Queen could have been superseded? Was there Queen cells in there?

[@bradgoliphant]

@@gwenyngruffydd These superceded her a month or so ago. She is in there, because just last 9 day ago it had lots of eggs and larva, but only capped brood now.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Check again in a weeks time. Have you put varroa treatments in the hive?

[@bradgoliphant]

@@gwenyngruffydd don’t have varroa. Great advise. I’ll try and go though it all before Nov

[@janiethomson616]

First year beekeeping in Scotland. 2 hives. hive one doing well , lots of bees and have trickle fed with 2:1. However... hive two was a late acquired Nuc. they are over 7 frames now so used a dummy board to bring the hive in a little and have been trickle feeding. Someone said to give them a little pollen patty as they had superseded in August. They have eaten that and since its on the frames I added an eke. When I looked today they still have ignored the outer two frames of foundation in the hive but they have built comb exactly under the circumference of the 4 pint feeder inside the eke between the frames and the perspex crown board!! what do I do with that??? I wasn't planning to disturb the bees now other than to quickly put in some fondant, if required, when I take out the varroa strip on 18 October. should I just leave the comb... or remove it to be able to lift the crown board put the fondant on? or put fondant on top of the crown board over the central hole for the rapid feeder? I just cant understand why they did that??? any advice Gruff?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Janie, I would scrape that extra wax off and put it in the feeder so the bees can get it back. Lose the eke and only feed above the crown board. How heavy is the hive?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Or plan B leave it like that and sort it out in spring!! 😅

[@janiethomson616]

@@gwenyngruffydd how can I encourage them to use the outer two frames... or does that not really play in to things at this point? just leave them?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Once they have no room anywhere else they will move to the outer frames. Or as long as your still feeding swap then outer frames with frames next door. Bees will soon draw it.

[@janiethomson616]

@@gwenyngruffydd Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and help me through this! it s a big responsibility getting these wee ladies through the winter! ill keep an eye for them using these frames and if not I will move them as you advise.

[@martynhordern7351]

Bought 2 14kg containers of Invertbee off you (great price by the way) as my feeding has started a bit late. I’m a little concerned however as the bees aren’t taking a great deal down. I have one a 2.5 litre rapid feeder and two with 4 litre rapid feeders. Each taking a bit different down than the others but averaging between 2 and 4 litres in a week. Normally when I’ve fed syrup they’ve gobbled it down at a great rate of knots. Any reason to be concerned or will the bees as always sort it out.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Martyn, Thanks for supporting us 😊👍🏻 How heavy is the hive?

[@martynhordern7351]

@@gwenyngruffydd that’s the thing no not really, one is ok ish, the other two not so. Had issues with all three requeening late on which I wonder might be the issue, the one that’s better had a new queen introduced beginning of September after a failed requeening, another had a unite late August so brood added then and another had a drone laying queen which has sorted themselves out via a frame of eggs so they are quite a way behind.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

This time of year nature needs to take its course there’s not much we can do. If their taking feed that’s a good sign though.

[@trevor311264]

If you make your own 2:1 can you add a supplement like soya or brewers yeast to the water to add the missing protein and minerals?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, I personally wouldn’t, I would keep that as it is. You could add a vitamin boost like hive alive or bee strong to the syrup if you wanted to. The bees will store pollen themselves.

[@trevor311264]

@@sinisterhipp0 Brewer's yeast is a live active yeast used for making beer that is then heat-killed and turned into a dietary supplement. It is not an active yeast, the heat treatment has killed it. it will not ferment anything, and it is one of the main ingredients in pollen patties.

[@zetec52]

What about ivy ?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I mentioned ivy and balsam in the video

[@zetec52]

What if they completely fill brood box with ivy in September, seen some people have had to put back on supers ? To early to to be honey bound ? Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Fair point. I have never seen that myself but no doubt it could happen. Ivy normally doesn’t give in till the end of the month. It’s not giving here yet. Just on the brink I think.

[@WaleshiddenhistoryMD]

Why not actually show people what to do, instead of talking so much..

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’ve got multiple videos on feeding bees. There is a whole category on it on the channel showing how to feed them.