Feeding for Winter
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
After the last harvest, every colony gets its winter stores.
After the last harvest, every colony gets its winter stores. How much that is depends on the hive system, region, and colony strength. For single-box colonies, the bee institutes reckon with about 15 kilograms of stored feed, for two-box colonies with 18 to 22 kilograms. There is no universally valid figure; the recommendation of the responsible bee institute is decisive.
Feeding is done with ready-made syrup or with sugar water mixed at a ratio of three parts sugar to two parts water. Large, multi-box colonies take up large portions quickly; for single-box colonies, smaller portions are better, otherwise the stored feed crowds the brood nest. The main feeding should be done by around mid-September, with the rest fed by the end of September; later than that, the bees lack the warmth to process and cap it.
Honeydew and forest honey do not belong in winter feed; their high mineral content strains the rectum and leads to dysentery. Feed in the evening and do not leave any leftovers standing open, otherwise robbing occurs.