Emergency Feeding
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
When a colony gets light in late winter, every hour counts.
When a colony gets light in late winter, every hour counts. In cold weather it cannot leave the winter cluster and starves on full outer combs. That is why checks should be made by mid-February at the latest, because a colony still needs around eight kilograms from the end of February until the first nectar flow.
The best option is to hang a full food comb directly against the bee cluster. If none is available, liquid feed goes close to the cluster, in a frame feeder or a bucket in an empty box, with corks or bits of wood as floats. Fondant is often poorly accepted in early spring, because without flight activity the bees cannot fetch water to dissolve it. In any case, proximity to the cluster is decisive, not the form of the feed.
Open the colony only briefly for this and do not pull it apart. Small portions given regularly are better than one large helping. Check again weekly after that, until willow and hazel outside provide fresh supplies.