# lots of comb, not much honey - worried



## silvergirl (Jul 30, 2006)

Hi, all - I have had hives for a number of years but have not really done much with them. The ex was the trained bee keeper and I've been playing catch up. I checked my hives last week - one of them is an established hive that has been up and running for a few years now although only transported to my new home this past spring, the other was new this spring. Both have lots of comb, but in the frames I checked, there is virtually no honey. I even went down to the second super from the top on my old hive and checked the outer frames - no honey but well very developed comb. The older hive has a main deep hive box and a shallow super for brood, a separator, then shallow super on top of that and two more. The new hive has a deep hive box and shallow super for brood, and only one super above the separator. The fall flowers are out in force now - lots of mountain laurel, ragweed, and some bloom high on the trees. I am worried about the bees and thinking I should feed them right away. They have been very active all summer, so I thought they were doing great. I can buy organic honey for them or I have organic sugar I can use for a syrup - should I wait a few more weeks until it starts getting cold or feed now? Day temps are in the 70s, nights in the 50s and 60s. Both hives are strong and active with loads of bees and constant flights to and from each hive.


----------



## SDiver40 (Oct 25, 2015)

You better start mixing sugar water and feeding. Not much time left to get it cured out before cold weather sets in.
2:1 mixture


----------



## silvergirl (Jul 30, 2006)

Thanks...


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Not just feed syrup but add a pollen patty or two to the hives and make up some candy boards. You will find several recipes on the internet same with the pollen patties.

 Al


----------



## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

Just a reminder you never feed honey not from YOUR hive


----------



## silvergirl (Jul 30, 2006)

It took a good few days to get the feeders in from the bee supplier, but I've been feeding the syrup since the weekend and it is disappearing fast. They seem to be going through a quart jar within 24 hours... the older hive is going through a little less than that, but the new one is really downing it fast. It's been raining off and on, so maybe they are spending extra time in the hive and sucking back the syrup rather than foraging, but it seems like a pretty high volume... I'm waiting on the patties to arrive - I plan to provide them with the pollen patties as soon as possible.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Go to your local pizza and or sub shop and ask for gallon jars they get peppers and olives come in. They just throw the jars out in the dumpsters.

Make two rows of 1/16 inch holes half way across the lid. Make the syrup fill the jar and set on the hive like this.










Put a deep body around it and place the top outer cover over that.

 Al


----------



## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Al-

What else is going on with the hive in your last picture with a bottom board halfway up in the hive?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

That is a picture I took as a teaching aid several years ago. It is a double deep then a double screen board then a deep and intercover and feed jar. It is how we do splits with a second queen and use the heat build up from the two bottom deeps to help heat the single deep hive. It is mostly done with a earliest shipped queen we could buy in the spring. Night time temps could some times dip into the high 30's a few days even.


Double screen board.



 Al


----------



## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks Al.


----------

