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Sunday, September 24, 2017

ONE LAST FEEDING REMINDER

If you are planning to feed your bees, get it done now.  The days are getting shorter and temperatures will be declining.  Remember the bees begin to cluster when temperatures dip below 57F.  When in cluster the bees won't be moving sugar water (or other feed) from the feeder to the comb.

If you look at the fluctuation of air temperature on a typical fall day you will see temperatures in the 30's and 40's at night; then warming to above 57F for only about 8 hours per day.  The shorter time period above 57F will limit the time and amount of feed put into storage.  Also the bees are reluctant to drink cold feed and will wait until it is warmed; further shortening the amount of feed to be stored.  Finally the cooler temperatures lengthen the time required to dry the feed to less than 20% moisture, which is required to prevent fermentation.

Those were the technical reasons to get your feeding done now.


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