Today the bees seemed hungry. Spill a little sugar water on the ground and bees are immediately there eating it up. New bottles of sugar syrup were placed on every colony. Marks were made to indicate if feeding should be continuous (weekly) or every other week depending on how desperate things were in the hive.
Now is the time when when winter bees are being raised. Success overwintering is determine by what is going on now. There was lots of pollen in the frames. Also, foundation wasn't really being drawn as it was in previous months. If adding frames at this time, it is best to give drawn comb instead of foundation. The hypothesis is that wax glands are stimulated by carbohydrates (nectar) which is at a premium this time of year....hence the feeding....and bees not drawing comb very much.
The other goal at this time is to add a third box when it's needed to the 2 body colonies we have. This thinking here is that 3 boxes should have plenty of everything for the bees to over winter. It is possible to overwinter with 2 nuc boxes, but 3 seems more conservative and safe.