Late winter feeding: what should we think about it?

The question comes up every year: should colonies be fed at the end of winter or not? The answer needs to be nuanced. Food reserves have a direct impact on the queen’s egg-laying activity. It is well known that generous reserves and regular nectar inputs clearly stimulate egg laying, and when pollen is abundant, nurse bees operate at full capacity.

A rapid expansion of brood in February allows the colony to be ready for the spring harvest … but it also increases the risk of swarming before the summer harvest! Conversely, if a severe and prolonged cold spell occurs during this crucial period of the season, egg laying is blocked, cannibalism of open brood takes place, and the workers vigorously heat the capped brood, which is rarely abandoned. This intense heating consumes very large quantities of honey, and food reserves decline rapidly (3–4 kg per month, or even more …). It is therefore necessary to feed abundantly from the end of the harvest in order to have sufficient reserves (~15–16 kg per 12-frame hive) by the end of October. Until the end of January, a “normal” colony consumes 1–2 kg per month, i.e. about 5 kg. From the resumption of egg laying (second half of January), consumption increases dramatically and may exceed 4 kg per month. As a result, the colony may run short of food if brood development is too extensive.

The beekeeper therefore has to find a very delicate balance. It is useful to weigh colonies in February and to take into account the inspection of the bottom board: if the hive is very light and debris strips are numerous (>5, corresponding to 6 occupied frames), 1 kg of fondant (candy) can be placed over the hole in the inner cover. Depending on the rate at which the food is consumed, this operation can be repeated 15 days later. This approach aims to avoid a “brood gap”.

In the case of a colony that has consumed excessively during the months of November to January, questions may arise regarding its health. Excessive consumption implies a maladaptation of the behaviour of this superorganism, a disease (varroa, nosema), defective or drone-laying brood, or possibly several of these causes simultaneously. And the question naturally arises: is it worth saving such a problematic colony? By saving this colony at all costs, does the beekeeper risk impoverishing the genetic potential of the apiary in the future and “selecting” colonies of little value?

The situation of (healthy) nuclei is different. It is known that a colony well developed in autumn and covering more than 8 frames consumes less food than a nucleus created during summer that covers only 3–4 frames. This is a matter of heat loss to keep the queen warm. The larger the volume of the cluster, the smaller its relative surface area. Thus, a large colony expends relatively fewer calories than a small one whose entire cluster shivers throughout the winter … Such a nucleus risks dying of hunger and cold by the end of February. It is worthwhile to give it targeted support and allow it to become a true production unit.

The queen breeder has another objective: to produce queens, he needs populous colonies from which he can draw many young bees (nurses) to make starters, boost finishers, populate mating nuclei and create nuclei to receive future F0 or F1 queens. He therefore readily feeds with syrup in order to trigger a strong increase in egg laying and remains very vigilant with regard to swarming, “skimming off” overly expanded brood when necessary.

Conclusion:

Each colony is therefore a particular case, and feeding must remain a well-considered intervention with a clear objective. Feeding indiscriminately can have consequences that are entirely opposite to the intended goals (e.g. swarming before the harvest).

One final clarification: feed with fondant during winter time; feed with 50% syrup during summer time; feed with 73% syrup to build winter reserves.