# Overwintering weak colony?



## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

Quick question regarding overwintering a weak colony. 

Started this hive kinda late this year- first of June in all new equipment- no comb drain out, etc. The queen commenced to laying right off the bat and the colony is growing, but still is not occupying more than maybe 3 or 4 frames. 

Was thinking maybe I should transfer some brood from other colonies, maybe 2-3 frames total, to give them better numbers for the winter. I plan to feed them through the winter. 

Would the higher population help or hurt? Should I stay with what I have now, feed through the winter and give them extra brood in spring?

TIA

Lowdown3


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

If you aren't feeding the heck out of them right now, you should be. I've started nucs here at the very begining of September, and been successfull with them. But I fed the heck out of them for as long as they would take it. If they've got the flow, the queen will lay. So you can get the population boom you need. And if they have the stores put up, that new colony can get through the winter.

Switching some brood from other colonies is certainly a possibility as well. That will help bring up the population. Just don't decimate the hives you're taking brood from.


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## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

Been feeding them since Day 1 and shall continue at least through next Spring. Will switch from a boardman to baggie feeders in the next month or so.


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

Three months plus and they're still sitting at 3-4 frames? If you're looking at a killing frost soon, keep your potential losses low and just feed, feed, feed.

Look into making them a candy board, they can use that better than syrup in winter(if you get serious cold).


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Candy board?? Please explain.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Posted On the South Easteren Michigan Bee Keepers site (SEMBA).

Candy Board
Use: Winter feeding.
Recipe:
The formula for the fondant candy supplied by Dr. Roger Hoopingarner
15 lbs. sugar
3 lbs. white corn syrup
4 cups water
Â½ tsp. cream of tartar
(smaller quantities can be made using the ratios above)
Dissolve the sugar in water and stir while heating the mixture to 240 degrees F. Let the syrup cool to about 180 degrees F., then beat until thickened and pour into the board ( like an inner cover with higher sides and no hole) to harden. Once the candy is hardened boards can be put onto the colonies candy side down over the top frames. Some beekeepers pour the candy into wax paper lined molds and then put these blocks on the frames while the inner cover is placed, with the deep side down, over them. Make the blocks no thicker than the depth of the inner cover rim. 

 Al


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

http://www.mountaincampfarm.com/wst_page5.php?idx=2&file=images/DSCF1900.jpg&&ID2=BjZ0I4

You can also lay newspaper on the top bars, then an empty box and pour granulated sugar on the newspaper.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Here's a link to an interesting sugarboard inner cover, where the inner cover itself is made from sugar. I've never tried it myself.

http://robo.hydroville.com/v12/content/view/20/2/

If this colony has been fed continuously for the past three months and has still never managed to grow, you've got a problem with the colony. The queen is the most suspect, probably being a poor layer. For this colony should be bursting at the seams now having spent a summer being fed continuously.

But, that's presuming they were taking the sugar water. Were they, or was it just in there being ignored?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Thanks Al!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Your welcome. There are other recipes for candy boards, do a goggle search for them. We just use this one since we are SEMBA members and is the first one we got.

 Al


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## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

I'm here in S. GA. I think these guys missed the major nectar flow for the year by the time I installed them. 

The queen IS laying good. There are cells were the workers haven't drawn out the foundation even half way and there is an egg in there. They started with all new stuff, no drawn comb, etc. 

I will be feeding them all winter, question is do I give them a little more brood from another colony or no? I "usually" doesn't get cold enough to have a fire in the stove till late November/early December here. 

It is my first year keeping bees, so bare with me. Thanks!
Lowdown3


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Are these bees on plastiac foundation by chance?
In Ga. you should be able to keep syrup on them all winter. 

 Al


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## boren (Jan 7, 2004)

Have you been feeding since June? If so there's something really wrong. I installed 2 nucs into new equipment June 1st, fed till they had 20 frames drawn by the end of July, and took 50lbs off one, and split the other. This was all on pierco. Now we had a good year, and our flow is June->August.  They also went through about 100lbs of feed in ~6 weeks.

What does the pattern look like? The frame should be 90% brood with a small ring of honey on the top and sides. It should be dense with capped brood, and I'm guessing little to no drone brood. Hives tend not to produce drones unless they have excess resources.

So, when did you start feeding? (and how much)


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## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

Have fed since day 1 via a boardman feeder. 

I'm using BLACK full depth frames. Have had no problem whatsoever with the BLACK frames, now the WHITE shallow super frames... that's another story!!

I will double check this week but she's laying well as far as I'm concerned. It was a new package from a local apiary I've dealt with before. I'll add some brood from another hive also.


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

Lowdown said:


> I'll add some brood from another hive also.


I wouldn't. That kind of disruption to the hives now is bad news for both of them.


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## Lowdown (May 24, 2007)

OK I was mistaken, they have filled out about 5 frames. Queen seems to be laying well. Added some brood and will continue to feed. 

How are you guys doing your winter feeding? Couple of baggies on top of the frames with a shallow super over them?


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