Question for bee keepers

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

The past week or two I have noticed that the honey bees have been attacking my garbage cans.
As you walk up you can see many flying around it.
When you open the can there might be 20 bees inside the 95 gallon can.

Never dawned on me till today.
But with my limited knowledge of bees that they might be hungry.
Temps have been around 70 in the day time but since it is December there might be little to no flowers around.
Thinking the bees may be after things like empty Coke cans in the garbage can for the sugar.

I assume these are wild bees as I live in the middle of 1000's of acres of pine forest and the closest man owned hives has to be 3 to 4 miles away.

So do you agree that the reason they are after my garbage is because they are that hungry?

And if so is there anything I can do to supplement their diet to help this hive threw the winter?

UncleTom · Dec 2, 2017

a big pan of sugar water maybe.

Nathan (SD) · Dec 2, 2017

They will take dry sugar back to the hive too. Or corn syrup will work too.

Steve@Advance · Dec 2, 2017

They love fruit too.

Put out anything sweet and colorful.

Went to a local fair a few years ago. They had some bee displays.

There was also some apple processing, cider, whatever they were doing with apples. The bees were going crazy over the apple peels and cores!

Just want to put it so critters don't get at it, like inside a wire cage.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 2, 2017

Sugar water will help them.

glennster · Dec 2, 2017

honey bees will range up to 5 miles to forage. you are correct, they are going after the syrup in the soda can. you can give them 2 parts sugar to one part water mix for the winter. they will fly until it gets about 50 degrees outside temp. boil the water, then turn off the heat and add the sugar. put it in a shallow dish with a few rocks in it so they dont drown.

Stephen Newell · Dec 2, 2017

Sounds like you need to put some food away from your house and wash your trash cans.

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

This is normal table sugar?

Does it have a shelf life after mixed?

It may get colder than 50 at night; but considering we have very few days where it does not warm up to at least 50 in the daytime I can assume they will fly all winter long.

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

Stephen; I am just the opposite of that.

I would dump the garbage can out in the driveway if it meant saving a bee hive.

Mike(NEOhio) · Dec 2, 2017

Are you sure they're honeybees and not yellow jackets?

glennster · Dec 2, 2017

yup normal table sugar. if they are really hungry, a hive can take a gallon of syrup in less than a week. you can also take a cupfull of sugar and put a couple tablespoons of water in it, it will make a sugar brick. they will like that also. here is a pic of one of my nucleus colonys with a one quart boardman sugar syrup feeders on it

ohiojim · Dec 2, 2017

they can't utilize dry sugar, they recommend 50/50 sugar water.

Greg1959 · Dec 2, 2017

This thread brings back fond memories from the 1970's. I raised bees during the 70's and loved doing it.

Then, CCD and the mites hit. Bummer

glennster · Dec 2, 2017

if you want to really do it right, with each quart of 2-1 sugar water, add 5 drops each of lemon extract, mint extract and lemon grass extract and one tablespoon white vinegar. this is a probiotic that keeps the bees healthy. in the springtime you feed one to one sugar water, and the same probiotic mix.

glennster · Dec 2, 2017

heres a couple pics of my girls up at the barn, i was cleaning out some feeders and they found me. hives are not quite half a mile from the barn.

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

Thanks.

Yes I want to do it right.
I would love to have a hive of my own just do not have the time to work with them.

Looking at your feeder gave me a idea.
Would a chicken water work with a few rocks to keep them from drowning.
I have several quart and gallon chicken waters around here I no longer use since I went to hanging automatic waters for my chickens.

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

Yes Mike; I am sure they are honey bees.

glennster · Dec 2, 2017

yup, they would work great!!! if you have the room, you can have a beekeeper set up some hive at your place, they will treat you with honey when they harvest. check out any local bee keeping clubs in your area. if you want to check out some interesting videos, go to youtube and check out bee keeping with dirtrooster625. he is pretty funny and a very knowledgebal bee keeper in your neck of the woods!

john in la · Dec 2, 2017

Thanks for the help glennster

kcm.MN · Dec 2, 2017

As I recall, the pines down south would leak a little sap now and then, but wasn't all that much. However, these Spruce trees we have keep feeding the bees and wasps until they go dormant for the winter. Even the Quaking Aspens here seem to put out a surplus of sap.

On nice days, can walk outside and instead of hearing the silence, there's this intense humming sound coming from the Spruces. You can do everything but grab them (even the Yellow Jackets!) and they just don't care -- too busy gettin' food for the hive.

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