# still feeding the bees



## Muddy Boots (Jan 23, 2010)

This is my first year and have two hives that I started with package bees in April. They appear to be doing very well and I am not sure when I should stop feeding them. I live in North Eastern Indiana any ideas? Thanks for any help.


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

For a new colony in new hives I feed until they have drawn comb for two deeps. Depending on the bees and the weather here in Indiana, that may be most of the summer.

As an aside, since you're a new beekeeper, let me invite you to our State beekeepers meeting June 19th at the Purdue bee yards. There will be beginner's sessions in the hives. 
Agenda:
http://hoosierbuzz.freeforums.org/summer-meeting-agenda-t283.html
Directions:
http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/beehive/images/directions.pdf


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

In my opinion, if they have some capped honey and a flow, I would stop feeding them. They cap honey when their view is that they have resources to put into long term storage. If you stop before that, weather could put them in jeopardy of starvation, but after that they should be good at least until there is a dearth.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

The local bee guru feeds until he puts the supers on, or until they stop taking the syrup. 

He often gets a super of honey off of his new hives so he must be doing something right.


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Yes, if you don't mind syrup in your honey. Bees move syrup up out of the brood nest to make room for the queen once they get room... you will definitely get more "honey" by feeding more. The questions are, is syrup as good for the bees as honey (and recent studies on microbes in the bees' gut would indicate that it is not) and do you want syrup in your supers when they move it up out of the way. The fact that they will move it up out of the way is actually well known and well ignored. This fact was documented in every book on comb honey from the late 1800s to the late 1900s. It was one of the primary methods of getting comb honey. Every lecture even in modern times (the 2000s) I've heard on the subject has also pointed this out. You crowd the bees down when you put on the comb honey supers to encourage it even more...


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Michael Bush said:


> Yes, if you don't mind syrup in your honey. Bees move syrup up out of the brood nest to make room for the queen once they get room...


Why, the clever little......darlins!

And to think that my FIL used to prefer comb honey because he said it could not be cut with corn syrup!


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Well, it can't be "cut" with corn syrup, but the bees can sure store corn syrup in them...


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

the muslims community usually wont buy extracted honey Because according to the koran they have to have pure honey. So they like to buy it in the comb. I just shake my head when people wont buy nothing but comb honey because they assume its pure unadulterated honey


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Let's put it this way. I can make syrup with a little molassas thrown in to give it some color and tell you it's honey when bees have never touched it. I can't put that in honey comb. But the bees can...


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