Nicole Aakre

I definitely don't plan on feeding unless I feel it is absolutely necessary. I only want to be prepared and have the knowledge on hand for when the situation arises. We have knapweed overtaking our hillside I just don't know when it will start blooming. I have seen the balsam root and hounds tongue starting to pop but nothing from the knapweed. For the future I will most definitely leave adequate honey prior to harvesting, I just don't know how much honey my nucs will have and am unsure how long it will last if spring doesn't actually arrive.

Thank you for the input everyone, I think I will look into finding a local source if not I'll use sugar as my backup.

Thanks Michael, that is exactly what I was looking for!

Arlyn, where do you source your Vitamin C?

I am hoping my nucs will have enough honey to last until everything starts blooming but you never know what spring in Montana will bring.

Thanks Michael! What kind of sugar do you use when you do feed? And what ratio of sugar to water? I was questioning all the extras myself but as I said I am new and looking for some guidance

You will have to forgive me if this subject has already been covered as I am new here and have yet to find what I am looking for. Anywho...this will be my first year keeping bees on my own. I am starting with 2 nucs and will be using Langstroth 10-frames. My biggest concern is feeding. I know that feeding is very controversial in regards to treatment-free beekeeping which I would like to stay with as much as possible. My situation: I live on the top of a mountain on the outskirts of Granite County, Montana. We are zone 3 in the books but our windy mountain worries me. I have planted native wildflower seeds for summer honey flow but I feel that they might need some supplemental feeding before everything starts blooming. So for my real question: for those of you who have or do feed, what recipe do you use? I have found many and am unsure where to begin. The best I have found follows:

2 quarts (8 cups) of white sugar (do not use brown sugar or other substitute)
3 cups of almost boiling water
1 cup of chamomile tea (can use chamomile flowers or tea bags)
2 tablespoons of your own honey
½ teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
a healthy pinch of sea salt
3-4 drops of lemongrass essential oil
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerine

Mix sugar and water until all sugar is dissolved.

Mix in the chamomile tea, honey, lemon juice and sea salt until well combined.

Mix the lemongrass oil into the glycerine, then add to the syrup.

Cover and let cool to room temperature before feeding your bees.

opinions?