Many beekeepers begin feeding their colonies sugar syrup as early as September to ensure that they have sufficient stores to get through winter.
Feeding in the fall should be completed using an inner feeder, to reduce robbing risks. When handling syrup-laden feeders, take extra caution not to spill any.
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Sugar syrup
Sugar syrup is a tasty food used to feed bees during autumn. To create it, mix honey and warm water in specific proportions until you achieve desired thickness; pour into hive for use and provide essential nutrition missing in their diets.
Sugar syrup fed to bees during autumn feedings tends to be thicker than that used during springtime due to nectar being closer in consistency than honey, leading to differences in how bees process the syrup.
When making syrup for bees, it should be put into either a feeder or large 2.3-litre plastic milk bottle and hung at the entrance to the hive. To prevent crystallization when cooling occurs, some boiling water may be added into the mix to ensure an extended shelf life and reduced risk of mold growth.
Powdered sugar
Powdered sugar remains controversial when it comes to its impact on bees, yet most beekeepers do use it. Its ease of production and storage make it ideal for dusting hives for Varroa mite management – studies have revealed that using powdered sugar causes mites that feed off bees such as Phoretic Varroa mites to fall off into the ground instead.
When nectar levels drop suddenly, bees can be fed either sugar syrup or pollen as an alternative food source; the latter option tends to be easier for them to process than honey.
Sugar syrup can be created by combining equal parts granulated and liquid sugar in a 1:1 ratio, either from cane or sugar beet, heated just enough to dissolve all of the sugar before cooling back to room temperature and pouring it into empty plastic mineral bottles with markings for volume measurement, which should then be stored somewhere cool and dry.
Feeders
As winter nears, honey production naturally slows. Beekeepers should provide their colonies with sufficient food stores during this period so that their colonies have sufficient reserves for the coming cold weather.
Fall bee syrup differs significantly from the spring-fed kind in terms of thickness; it consists of two parts sugar to one part water as its composition.
The most efficient method for feeding bees is with an open feeder. This container sits atop the hive and allows bees to access it through holes on its side (called shims). There are various feeders on the market; baggie feeders (gallon zip lock bags filled with syrup that are then laid over beehives) may also work but this method could cause bees to flood out too quickly and may result in mass deaths of bees due to overfeeding.
Top dressing
In a successful honey year, hives may already be packed full of stored honey, eliminating the need for fall feedings. But nectar flows end early or for some other reason the colony cannot gather and store enough stores (due to disease, American Foulbrood or Chalkbrood infection, Varroa mite infestation or nosema, for instance), supplementation may be necessary.
Sugar syrup should be added to hives that do not have enough stored food in order to prevent starvation during winter. A 2:1 mixture (2 parts sugar to one part water) works best; keep warm as cold temperatures may quickly degrade its integrity.
Successful fall feeding requires providing the appropriate quantity and timing of syrup feedings. Syrup should be distributed during the day in order for bees to use it before temperatures decline; feeders with reduced entrances will help minimize robbing attempts.
