When feeding sugar syrup to bees in springtime, use a 1:1 weight ratio. This light syrup stimulates brood rearing.
Fall is the time for giving our furry friends something extra nutritious to prepare them for winter, such as 2:1 syrup with its low water content and ability to be fed thick or thin depending on their individual needs.
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How to Make It
Sugar syrup or artificial nectar is used to feed bees during times when natural nectar supplies are limited and is made by mixing various substances according to season and colony needs.
1:1 syrup can be created using equal parts of sugar and water (by weight or volume). Some beekeepers prefer 2:1 syrup with twice as much concentration of sugar compared to water.
After adding sugar, it is vital that the mixture does not boil as this can lead to caramelization and become indigestible to bees.
Avoiding brown sugar, molasses and sorghum as replacements for plain white sugar is also highly advised since these products contain impurities that could contribute to bee dysentery. Only white granulated sugar should be used.
Thick or Thin?
Spring and summer nectar-light syrup can encourage brood production in bees; while thicker syrup should be provided during fall and winter to help bees build their stores.
Some people make thick syrup, sometimes known as 2:1 syrup, to feed to bees as part of our efforts to prepare their stores for winter. We can feed this type of syrup during late summer or fall as an aid.
Basic beekeeping practice calls for mixing equal parts of sugar and water until all lumps have been fully dissolved. Some beekeepers measure out these components by weight while others prefer volume measurements, such as cups or gallons.
To streamline this process, an inverted container such as a quart jar (like the Boardman feeder), plastic pail with lid, paint can with holes, or one liter bottle can help. This method reduces measuring and cleanup time allowing you to make more syrup faster!
When to Feed Thin
An early spring feeding with thin syrup can promote comb building and brood rearing for your newly introduced queen bee colony, while in summer use a light syrup as a booster if colonies seem to be struggling or you’re harvesting honey quickly.
Sugar syrup ratios should always be measured by weight rather than volume. Therefore, for instance, to create 2 to 1 syrup for your bees you would require two pounds of sugar to one pound of water by weight. Weighing your ingredients carefully will help create more precise bee feed for your colonies.
One effective method for making bee syrup is using an inverted container such as a mason jar, boardman feeder, paint can with holes or plastic bucket with lid. Simply combine dry sugar with hot water in this inverted vessel before stirring vigorously to dissolve the sugar crystals.
When to Feed Thick
Fall is the season to build stores for winter, and beekeepers know it takes less energy for bees to process and store thicker syrup than it does dry sugar. Unfortunately, many beekeepers find that trying to feed this kind of syrup to their colonies often results in bees devouring all the excess rather than storing it away and not enough capped honey being produced to meet needs – in which case surplus frames of capped honey may need to be added back into colonies to replace empty drawn comb foundation.
For ease of making thick syrup, start by filling a feeder or bucket with enough granulated sugar that it reaches the level you would like after bees have eaten it, then adding hot water. Dissolving sugar in water first makes mixing easier while preventing any clumps of sugar from falling to the bottom of the container.
