🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[R2elk]

The Rabbit Brush and Sagebrush are still in full bloom.

These are also in full bloom here. I have never seen anything other than ants on the sagebrush.

 

[R2elk]

bee plant

The Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is done bloomiing here. The seed pods are ripening.

 

[Sally PB]

We just took the top boxes off our (two) hives. The Newbees had done nothing up there on bare frames except to start to draw a tiny bit of comb. We had a frame feeder (empty) in that box, which we removed. In the top brood box, they are packing in nectar and honey. Yay!

The Charlatans' top box had about a frame and a half of capped honey. They also had uncapped. We removed that box and the QE. We looked in the top brood box, and they are packing in nectar and honey. Yay!

So my first question is... what do I do with 2 gallons of 2:1 syrup? Can I store it until spring in the fridge? We'll be putting a super and QE on both hives then. I hate to throw out about 15 pounds of sugar.

We either need to find another way to feed, or a way to safely store the syrup. We're having above average temps now, but our average frost can be just about any time now. The meteorologists say we'll be having a pattern shift in our weather in about a week.

My second question: What do we do with frames that are partially capped, or uncapped? I don't have freezer space to store them.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

We just took the top boxes off our (two) hives. The Newbees had done nothing up there on bare frames except to start to draw a tiny bit of comb. We had a frame feeder (empty) in that box, which we removed. In the top brood box, they are packing in nectar and honey. Yay!

The Charlatans' top box had about a frame and a half of capped honey. They also had uncapped. We removed that box and the QE. We looked in the top brood box, and they are packing in nectar and honey. Yay!

So my first question is... what do I do with 2 gallons of 2:1 syrup? Can I store it until spring in the fridge? We'll be putting a super and QE on both hives then. I hate to throw out about 15 pounds of sugar.

We either need to find another way to feed, or a way to safely store the syrup. We're having above average temps now, but our average frost can be just about any time now. The meteorologists say we'll be having a pattern shift in our weather in about a week.

My second question: What do we do with frames that are partially capped, or uncapped? I don't have freezer space to store them.

I can't keep feed on our 3 hives, as I said previously, a gallon per hive every 2 days. I'll feed syrup until they stop taking it or when the heat from the bees is not enough to keep syrup from freezing, usually November. If you want to save your syrup I believe you can add white distilled vinegar, but I forget how much. DO NOT USE Apple Cider Vinegar as it causes digestive problems in the bees. As far as your frames I would leave it for the bees. Our top deep supers are being filled, processed and capped for winter stores and the heft is almost where I feel comfortable, 90 lbs +. I never store capped or open syrup or honey. Bees will use it.