Feeding syrup to your colony may help, particularly before honey production begins in autumn, but it could also harm it.
Many beekeepers opt for a one-to-one ratio of sugar to water (1:1). Others might prefer using two parts sugar to one part water (2:1). Both options can serve different functions, like stimulating brood rearing in spring or encouraging food storage during autumn.
Contents
Temperature
Beekeepers may choose to create a 1:1 sugar syrup by measuring sugar with water (cup or weight).
Others opt for a denser dose combining 2 parts sugar to 1 part water (2:1). This concentrated feed can help strengthen colony stores before winter sets in, as well as emergency winter feeding needs.
Beekeepers should measure sugar to water ratios by weight rather than volume to ensure accurate results. Measuring 2:1 by volume may produce unsatisfactory solutions (to properly calculate 2:1 ratio you would need 2 pounds of sugar to 1 pound of water); water and sugar have different weights which will result in an incorrect solution that would make honey production impossible and negatively affect hive health.
Sugar
Fall syrup typically follows a 2:1 (two parts sugar to one part water) ratio, making it more energy efficient as less energy is expended in drying down to honey-like consistency.
White granulated sugar should always be used. Other types of products, including brown sugar, molasses, sorghum, fruit juices and similar beverages contain impurities which could potentially lead to dysentery in bees – an illness which causes weight loss in bees and can even prove fatal for them.
Be sure to heat the sugar water just below boiling when making syrup, to ensure that all the sugar will dissolve fully and prevent it from coagulating and becoming an obstacle for bees to consume. This also ensures a more accessible flavorful experience for bees!
Water
If your bees have sufficient honey stores by late fall, no additional feeding should be necessary. But if their stores have diminished and/or you’re concerned they won’t make it through winter without support, supplement their nutrition as soon as possible.
Sugar syrup should generally have a 1:1 ratio between water and sugar, whether measured in cups or weight – either method will work just fine.
Hot water must be used when making syrup to ensure complete dissolution of sugar crystals. Either heat it separately, or just use tap water directly; just remember to quickly mix in sugar once you begin pouring!
Never allow your sugar syrup to boil as this will result in an unpleasant burnt taste and caramelization, rendering it indigestible by bees. After mixing, let it cool before placing it into the hive or adding any stimulants such as stimulant syrups.
Time
Ontario beekeepers commonly feed their colonies prior to and following major floral blooms, in order to give the bees enough food reserves to endure through the winter season.
In springtime, we typically feed sugar syrup with a 1:1 ratio – one part sugar to one part water (weight or volume does not matter). This lighter formula more closely resembles nectar than regular syrup and may help stimulate brood-rearing within the colony.
Bees require thicker syrup in the fall. This can be made with a higher concentration of sugar (2:1 sugar to water) and used as an effective honey replacement, stored in their honey supers. When feeding sugar syrup feeders should fit securely within their hive to protect from robbers while making filling easier without opening your hive door.