Studying feeding

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Just doing some studying on feeding and wondered why you feed 2:1 strength syrup during a bailey comb change to encourage bees to draw wax but 1:1 strength syrup to a swarm ( after 2-3 days ) to encourage wax drawing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'd feed 1:1 to both - but i think the rationale is with a swarm after a few days - by which time they would have used any possibly infected stores they were carrying to make wax they would also need feeding as hopefully many of the bees would be too busy tending the new brood to forage much.

 

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Thanks for reply, I understand why you wait 2-3 days after hiving swarm but wonder why you feed 2:1 strength during Bailey Comb change. FERA guidelines on national Bee Unit website and other reference books state 2:1. Just wondered reasons behind the different strengths for wax drawing for the different scenarios.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't think it really matters - but i've noticed that FERA lately are going for 2:1 even for emergency feeding. In my view, unless it's for storing only, 1:1 is the way to go

 

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Thanks, with my limited experience and knowledge I would have agreed with you always thought 2:1 was just for storage.

 

[itma]

... wondered why you feed 2:1 strength syrup during a bailey comb change to encourage bees to draw wax but 1:1 strength syrup to a swarm ( after 2-3 days ) to encourage wax drawing.

Yes, 1:1 if trying to encourage wax drawing.

The thing is that some beeks believe that a Bailey change should be done with disinfected (Acetic-fumigated) drawn comb. In which case 2:1 would be appropriate for storage in the fresh comb (as you are going to remove the old stores with the old comb).
However (IMHO) 1:1 would be more appropriate if doing a Bailey onto undrawn foundation.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well explained itma - of course the proper 'bailey' is apparently onto drawn comb. Most of us assume it's the 'modified bailey' with foundation only that gets used a lot now.

 

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Thanks both, makes sense too me 1:1 thought I might be missing something as the FERA Bee unit guidelines say 2:1 with foundation. Copied and pasted instructions. Maybe I should ask them why they recommend 2:1 with foundation!
As Per their guidelines;
Prepare a clean brood chamber filled with frames of foundation. Place this chamber over the existing brood chamber. Unless there is a strong nectar flow feed with winter strength sugar syrup i.e.1/2 litre of water to 1 kilogram of sugar. When the bees have drawn out some of the foundation, find the queen and place her on this comb. Put a queen excluder over the old brood chamber and under the new, thus trapping the queen in the upper chamber. If possible arrange a new hive entrance between the two brood boxes and close off the old. (This helps to reduce the amount of pollen stored in the old lower combs. After three weeks remove the old brood chamber. The brood will have hatched and the comb can then be rendered to recover the beeswax.
This system is ideal for replacing all the combs at once and is best performed in early spring often, with clement weather, March is suitable, but remember to keep feeding so the bees can build comb.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As i said - the boys at FERA seem to have a thing about 2:1 at the moment. early this year when the automated starving warnings were emailed they too stated 2:1 which is, as you know contrary to what everyone else says/does.

 

[dpearce4]

Might be due to the use by many beekeepers of products such as invertabee syrup and such which have a higher sugar content than 2:1, or they have been doing research and discovered that 2:1 is fine in all aspects?

Just a thought.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing wrong with 2:1 at any time of year but then, why say 2:1 for one thing and 1:1 for another almost identical scenario?