Turns out, I have been underfeeding my bees. Unfortunately, it's late in the season. So for any newbees out there next year that might have questions on feeding, here are some tidbits that I had to learn the hard way. Maybe I read them and missed the details, but more likely the info was so scattered that I never put it all together correctly. So here's my shot at putting it all together:
For new/young packages
1. When feeding syrup, feed 1:1 ratio in the Spring and early Summer as the bees are much more likely to build comb when they have this light syrup. Feed a LOT. By 1:1, just use a measuring cup, e.g. 8 cups of water to 8 cups of sugar. Use granulated sugar. Do not use confectioners/powdered sugar, brown sugar, or anything else. Plain boring old granulated. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, then add the sugar. Stir constantly until you can't see the crystals, about 2 minutes. Cool completely. If you leave it on the stove overnight to cool, cover it. One-to-one sugar water goes bad more quickly than two-to-one, but it will still last a couple of weeks.
2. Feed inside the hive. Put an empty (that is, with no frames) medium super on top of the hive super. You will put the feed directly on top of the frames of the hive super. Then the empty medium super, then the inner cover, then the telescoping cover.
3. You can feed in ziploc baggies or jars.
JARS: The problem with jars is that you can't feed that much. I put in multiple, short wide mouth canning jars (with small nail holes poked in lids). Four cups of syrup might be gone in 4-5 days, and they need much more.
ZIPLOC BAGS: I found that even the name brands can leak around the seal. If you use ziplocs, seal multiple times and test to make sure it doesn't leak. Then when I put it in the hive, I lean the ziploc end against the inside wall so it's elevated. Also, be careful with poking holes in the Ziplocs. Don't overdo it.
4. Don't worry about the "organic nature" of the hive and whether you should feed or not. You need to get your bees started before you can worry about that. Dead bees aren't going to make you feel better about going natural.
5. Bees do tend to draw out comb faster in foundationless frames. This is one component of a natural hive that you can do now. But make sure the hive is level. Otherwise you'll have to destroy some of the comb. Also, if you go for natural beekeeping, don't just go frameless. Get familiar with IPM, or Integrated Pest Management. (I say that and I sure haven't done enough in that regard.)
6. Keep hive shut tight enough to prevent robbing. You can put a thin (1/2") rock between the inner cover and the telescoping cover to add ventilation, but no more. When it gets hot and the bees are on the outside of the hive washboarding, know that this is normal. Don't be stupid and open up the top to aid ventilation. That would just be dumber than dumb. Otherwise, you'll quickly learn what "robbing" looks like, as I did.
