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To Feed or Not to Feed...

1638 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  tecumseh, 
O
That is the question! We are first year beekeepers, currently with 3 hives, 1 package of Italians and 2 swarms, and everyone seems to be doing well (well, atleast from first time beekeepers eyes!). But, we are trying to figure out how to get through our first year with our bees, successfully and as naturally as possible. So, our question(s) is/are, do we need to feed through the winter and what are the benefits and downfalls? And what can or should we feeding? We are located in South Central PA. Thank you!
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I am in no way disagreeing with any comments by the previous posters but would like to add a bit of detail to their comments....

if you have a fairly constant cold temperature (with little up and downs) during the winter the quantity of honey/feed required to maintain an overwintered hive is extremely small. most hives will starve during the spring brood rearing time slot when feed requirements increase dramatically. so for many folks feeding is much more important in the spring months than the winter months.
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