If you leave 1:1 syrup on a hive for a week or two, it often gets black spots and strands in it, presumably fungal. It will do the same slowly in the fridge too. When the bees take it fast, as they will in hot, dry weather with a nectar dearth, that really isn’t a concern.
I use gallon (4 liter) feeders, and I usually take my feeders off after 3 to 14 days. I have only left them on longer if I was traveling and forgot before I left. If the bees really need the syrup, they empty the feeder pretty quickly.
Thanks Dawn, also, I spoke to an old beekeeper today and he spoke about feeding the bees every second day, as he found they get lazy if they are fed every day. What is your experience regarding time frames for the feeding.
When I began feeding my hives it was often a litre of 1:1 was gone in a day but I found that for some reason when I had some rain and there was some nectar about the bees preferred to forage and left the syrup to a big extent.
I’m no longer needing to feed with having had some nights of reasonable rain recently and things are looking better.
Cheers
I fed both as an experiment this last 6 week dearth because I already had some 1 to 1 mixed up and I forgot when to start with the 2 to 1 and I open fed both. I also fed in the jar entrance feeder style feeders. The bees consumed the 2 to 1 faster and first over the 1 to 1. I did notice that the salted water was taken up too as I live next to a stream. In the end they were hungry enough to suck it all up though I now mix the 2 to 1 syrup.
I feed them as needed during a dearth. I don’t deliberately make them go without for a day or two, as it doesn’t seem to make a difference to my bees. I have to admit that sometimes they do have to wait a couple of days while I make up a new batch of feed! I don’t think that bees get lazy though. Once a good flow starts, they really seem to prefer proper nectar to my syrup, and I can’t blame them at all.
I don’t think that bees get lazy though. Once a good flow starts, they really seem to prefer proper nectar to my syrup, and I can’t blame them at all.