# The great debate.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

You feed syrup at a 1:1 ratio in the spring to keep tham alive and to stimulate the queen into laying more.

You feed syrup in the fall at a 2:1 ratio to hold the bees thru a time when every thing has been frozen and also for them to store as a source of winter food. 

The debate now is we are in the middle of July there is not anything that holds any nectar for the girls in bloom due to the drought. Do we feed to keep them alive and get the queen to laying brood and have the hives full of this 1:1 ratio when and if the golden rod and asters are fully in bloom and we get some rain.

*OR*

Do we feed the 2:1 ratio to keep them alive have some to store that won't take as much effort to reduce down and allow the queens to simply lay at a pace the colony deems they need to keep thing intact?

What ya thing?

We are feeding 1:1 right now to keep tham alive. We are being care fully not to feed so much they fill both double deeps with the thin mix. Come about labor day we are planing on changeing the ratio to a fall mix.

 Al


----------



## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

This may turn out to be a silly question...
Won't they simply reduce the 1:1 ratio down to the same thickness/consistency as the 2:1 ratio?? Then cap it? The only difference will be how much effort it will take to reduce it down so it's the right hydration. 
I'd continue to feed the 1:1 ratio so they can either eat it straight or reduce it down and build their numbers if that's what the queen thinks is the right thing to do. Then, in the fall, or if they don't have enough stores, start feeding the 2:1 thicker stuff so they can get the moisture out and not still be dehydrating it when the cold weather sets in. Moisture and cold weather means cold bees that don't do well.
Just my thoughts and not experienced either way.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

the 1:1 right now is to keep themalive. If I see they are cappingthe stuff I'll switch to 2:1.

No experince feeding in Mid July here either.

 Al


----------



## scrapiron (Jul 23, 2011)

Well Al, you made the news down here. We hear about heat waves out west all the time... Never heard Michigan in the news so much till recently. I will take a sip of homemade wine tonight, and do a little rain dance for yall. Hope it gets better soon.


----------



## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

With the drought, water sources are becoming scarce, and the bees need more water than usual to cool the hive with the extremely hot temperatures we've been having. A 1:1 or even thinner mixture will provide both the food and extra water they need right now.


----------

