How I Mix Syrup and Feed Bees

[@russellkoopman3004]

I like to leave my foamie on during the summer. Puff a little smoke in a corner, wait a minute and then tear it off fairly fast - like a bandaid. LOL Another use for the foamie during the summer can be using it as a quiet cloth - putting it on the hive box that you set to the side while inspecting the bottom box. They also probably keep the lid cooler during those hot summer days. Yah, you sure got those bees pissed off. If I'm not in a hurry I walk away to the truck and have a smoke until they settle down a bit. Take care and have a good weekend.

[@CastleHives]

Nice setup Josh. With my scale, I mix it up in a stock pot still.

[@beardedbeeworks261]

I was there not to long ago. Life was simpler then! Haha

[@dsummerscm]

Cool to see the set up in action!

[@beardedbeeworks261]

Thanks Dawn!

[@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924]

Good stuff brother

[@beardedbeeworks261]

Thanks man!

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Cool. I still mix a bucket at a time. Half our hives are at my dad's so he feedsthose when needed

[@beardedbeeworks261]

That’s how I used to do it and still do some.

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

Questions Josh, have you mixed 2:1 yet? Was a 1/2 pump strong enough to mix 2:1 if you have would a 3/4 or 1 hp be better. Hoping to learn from your experiences.

[@beardedbeeworks261]

I mixed about 3 tanks of 2:1 this past fall. It did well but the pump did get a little warm. Looking back I would have used lager piping like 2”. I larger pump would not hurt anything.

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

@@beardedbeeworks261 thanks, but I had another question because I really like your ingenuity on using the transfer pump. Where did you get the trigger nasal and how did it work out with the 2:1 syrup and do you see any improvement needed? I really like this

[@beardedbeeworks261]

@@OklahomaBeekeeper you can get them at about any farm supply store. It is a fuel nozzle. Mine doesn’t have an automatic kick of like a gas pump but I wish it did. I will probably upgrade it this spring.

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

@@beardedbeeworks261 thank you very much for your time, I appreciate it and May God bless you and your family.

[@j.johnson2792]

So there's no inner cover? Looks like you just have an outer cover with a hole over the frames?

[@beardedbeeworks261]

That’s correct. It’s a migratory cover with no inner cover. You don’t need an inner cover with a migratory lid.

[@j.johnson2792]

@@beardedbeeworks261 interesting. That's a new 1 to me, thanks!

[@josephfydenkevez8839]

how is the cleaning of the mixing barrel and the pump

[@beardedbeeworks261]

It’s not bad. I have a washing machine drain beside it. I will put some bleach in it and water and mix then pump it out the drain.

[@josephfydenkevez8839]

@@beardedbeeworks261 thanks I built one after watching this video. Seems it beat mixing in a 5 Gallon bucket and doing 4 time to feed my colonies