An inexpensive homemade bee syrup feeder is a convenient and economical way to provide bees with food during winter, aiding them to gain weight more easily.
Simply, this device consists of a quart size canning jar with its lid partially removed and several small holes punched by nail or drill punching tool; this can then be placed over the front of a beehive in an empty deep box surrounding it.
Contents
How to Make a Homemade Bee Syrup
Beekeepers frequently need to feed their bees at some point, whether their hives were broken into or they’re feeding young queens. A bucket bee feeder is an effective and inexpensive solution that also serves double duty for watering purposes.
Bees require supplemented feedings when nectar sources become scarce, such as after an extraction season (though it’s important to leave enough honey behind in case spring and summer flows occur), or in late winter when their colonies have depleted stored supplies of sustenance.
Sugar syrup is an artificial alternative to nectar fed to bees to keep them alive, helping prevent starvation. Different mixes are required at various times throughout the year – for spring feeding it’s 1:1 but in autumn/winter 2+ has to help bees build their stores for winter survival.
Ingredients
Sugar syrup is an integral component of beekeeping, used both as food for bees when nectar supplies run dry (primarily early spring and late fall) as well as to introduce queens or promote comb building and brood rearing.
Beekeepers tend to use two parts sugar for every one part water as a rule-of-thumb when making syrup, eliminating the need to weigh or measure ingredients while simplifying their process.
Use a standard quart mason jar and fill it almost to its brim, then add sugar. Heat on medium-high until the sugar has completely dissolved before allowing to cool (without stirring) until just warm and its color begins to lighten. Once chilled, this syrup can either be fed directly to bees, used to make fondant candy, or used to plug the entrance hole of queen cages.
Measurements
Many beekeepers over-complicate the feeding process. A general guideline of giving light syrup during spring to boost brood rearing, and heavier syrup during fall to build winter stores works effectively.
The ratio of sugar to water does not have to be exact – only close. You and the bees won’t notice any differences between an exact and an approximate ratio; starvation will kill them off eventually anyway.
Entrance feeders, which invert a feeding tray into the entrance of a hive and sit a syrup container atop it, are simple and reliable solutions, yet sometimes cause issues due to cold weather or animals dislodging syrup containers from them. Another popular type is frame feeders which feature an empty Langstroth frame equipped with division boards and plastic containers that sit inside them – both are ideal alternatives that do not induce robbing and provide easy feeding access for beekeepers.
Recipe
Winter feeding requires heavier 2:1 syrup to help the bees gain weight in preparation for cold temperatures. This recipe will give you the exact proportions with minimum measuring required.
To create this recipe, bring water to a boil in a sterilized pot using boiling water (see Equipment Prep). Mix in sugar until completely dissolved into the warm liquid.
To transform a standard canning jar into a hive feeder, cut a 3″ slit in the flat portion of its two-piece lid. Test its seal by inverting it and seeing if bees can gain access to syrup; once complete, replace inner cover and top of hive, and you are ready to feed! Additionally, this style of feeder may also be used during winter to dispense solid feeds like candy boards or fondant.
