[pottsie]

Hi my bee hive seemed very depleted this my first full year and when i got an old keeper up he advised me to feed lotrs which i did some weeks ago, thought the hive would be quiet at trhe moment went out today and it was as busy as some days in summer? Can i take it the bees are just making the mostg of a days sunshine or should i open the hiv e to make sure they have enough feed@

Thanks Rob.

[robert waddell]

is this not posted in the wrong heading

[manian]

yes robeert.....      think it should be in the    section 
Mx

[robert waddell]

now it is in the busy bee section

[Plantoid]

Treat the bees with some thing like Apistan to kill off as much Varroa as you can before they close down for winter.

 Bees fly at 50 degrees oF, if it is a still sunny day they sometimes  fly at 48 oF  of for their cleansing flights ..if your car is near the hive  look out for  2 mm roundels of yellow crap all over your car
 usuall the bees will ball around the queen once the frosts start and some time atoung christmas day the queen will start laying again so feeding is importaqnt

But I am of the opinion that you have left it a wee bit late to feed the bees with syrup it is normally done aroung the second week of October  .and is supplemented by the honey that they make after the second week of August when you would be advise to not try and take any more honey off the hive for that year.
they will some times requeen naturally  around that time of the year ( with out swarming ) and lay down the brood and food for the winter .

 Making a 10 inch dia by 1/2 thick patty of icing sugar to a recognised recipe for bees  is about the best you can do now and simply place it on the top bars for the bees to take . On a warm still day in early Dec have a peek to see if the patty has gone if so add more .

If you have put sugar syrup  as a feed on the hiveat this time of the year  it is likely to develop toxic moulds and kill the bees as the bees will not be as active as at the normal feeding periods and they will not produce enough heat to evaporate the water off as it lays in the comb which will be uncapped so it will ferment etc.

[pottsie]

Thanks all,

I am hopeing all is well and the bees have enough feed but will dig out the recipee for the icing sugar just in case and see how that goes. I did feed up a good few weks ago and treated with Beevital prior to closing up for the year was just surprised to see so many bees out even on a warm day this time of year. The keeper who came did say i had one of the strongest colonies he had seen in years, must be beginers luck?

[Plantoid]

Don't forget to fit a decent mouse guard and check every week it is still in place and that wood peckers have not  holed the hive for bees to eat.