When you’re trying to figure out whether or not feeding bees honey in spring is beneficial to your beekeeping venture, it’s important to understand the reasons for this practice, as well as the safety of giving them sugary treats. This article will discuss the importance of providing high-protein supplements and how feeding bees honey during the spring can make a difference. We’ll also look at the benefits and safety of feeding bees honey during a dearth.
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Benefits of feeding bees honey in spring
You should feed bees honey in spring. Bees are naturally attracted to the sweet taste of honey. Honey is obtained from plants that contain nectar. Bees also consume pollen. However, the quantity of nectar in spring can vary depending on foraging conditions and climate. Feeding bees sugar water instead of honey will not be beneficial. Beekeepers should check the frames and add food to compensate for the lack of protein. Feeding bees with VitaFeed can give you two additional frames of brood per colony.
The benefits of feeding bees honey in spring are numerous. Bees are able to thrive best on a balanced diet of pollen, honey and nectar. But their nutrition needs change as they produce new brood. Beekeepers sometimes store away a small amount of off-colored honey and make sugar syrup to use as emergency food. Bees also need protein, and pollen provides it. Pollen also provides essential amino acids and helps them build healthy eggs and larvae.
Safety of feeding bees honey in spring
The best way to prepare for the spring feeding of bees is by assessing their food stores. March and April can be notorious for dearths, so many hives still rely on the stored honey they have collected. Even if you have some left over, feeding bees in spring may be necessary. To ensure the safety of your bees and your hive, follow the following safety tips:
The best time to feed your bees is in early spring. Most colonies have been dormant during the winter, so the spring is the best time to feed them. Bees will begin to feed their brood once they’ve adapted to the warmer weather. They need the energy to rear brood, and feeding them a sugar water solution of one-to-one sugar is best. However, if you’re introducing your new colony to supplemental feeding, don’t expect them to start producing honey until later in the season.
Need for high-protein supplements
PNW commercial beekeepers report feeding six pounds of protein in spring and four to eight pounds of protein in fall. These diets can be fed separately or in combination. Bees need protein to sustain their growth. Soybean flour and brewer’s yeast are both palatable and can be fed either as a dry powder or as a moist cake inside the hive.
Generally, protein supplemental diets for bees are classified into two categories: pollen supplements and pollen substitutes. While neither pollen substitutes nor supplements completely replace natural pollen, beekeepers can use them to improve their bees’ nutrition when pollen is scarce. Pollen supplements and substitutes should be stored at least two years. However, beekeepers should only supplement one to two percent of their hives with protein supplemental diets.
In the early spring, colonies should be inspected. If they have accumulated sufficient food stores during the winter, they may not require supplementary feeding. But if the weather is particularly cold and wet, or the season is unusually dry, the bees may need more protein in the spring. This sudden reduction in pollen and nectar income will reduce the adult bee population.
Need to feed bees during a dearth
If you’ve recently purchased a bee package, you may have noticed that your colony has been stressed from the early start of the year. Snow storms may have left them stuck in their hives, and lack of available foraging resources could mean a fall behind on brood production. These causes of stress can continue throughout the year, and if not managed properly, nectar dearths can lead to a slowdown in colony growth or even a collapse.
While you may be able to feed your bees throughout the winter, a winter nectar dearth can severely stunt the colony’s growth and cause a number of problems. Bees that aren’t fully grown may lack sufficient storehouses for winter, and they may become vulnerable to robbers. If you’re worried about robbers, feeding syrup to your bees should be done with a hive-top feeder or internal. The latter will prevent the chance of spills or drips and also prevent robbers from stealing your honey.
