Honey bees should be fed during the fall before temperatures drop below the point at which they can convert sugar syrup to solid form for storage, known as “supplemental feeding”. This practice is known as pollen therapy.
Sugar to water ratio varies according to season; beekeepers will find 2:1 sugar syrup fed via hive top feeders is optimal.
Contents
How to make it
When making syrup, it is best to use a container that won’t allow any spillage of its contents – typically this means using a shallow super that fits under the lid of your hive.
Syrup can be made by mixing white sugar and hot water in an appropriate ratio, by bringing it to a boil then stirring in sugar until completely dissolved before taking off of the heat and leaving to cool.
At an optimal temperature, beekeepers need to ensure the syrup meets two key criteria in order to prevent bees from going into torpor (a state of reduced metabolic activity). A small amount of essential oil may also help prevent mold growth – something particularly helpful during humid winter climates. Some beekeepers prefer placing their syrup in a “hive top feeder”, which sits outside their hive near its entrance. This type of feeder is widely known.
Ingredients
Sugar to water ratios for bee syrup vary with the season and time of year, with 1:1 being an ideal mix to facilitate brood rearing and wax comb drawing during spring feedings.
A simple sugar syrup can be made from any kind of sugar; however, raw organic sugar is preferred. Furthermore, adding some drops of lecithin helps bees utilize their food more efficiently while supporting metabolic processes in their bodies.
Feeding syrup should be discontinued as soon as a hive starts producing its own honey or you install a honey super. This helps prevent overloaded colonies, while also giving bees space to cluster in wintertime comb.
Preparation time
Sugar water supplemented into bee colonies before winter can help them stockpile enough stores to get through a long, cold autumn. Some beekeepers prefer a 2:1 ratio (2 parts sugar to one part water), which more closely resembles honey than spring syrup; either option should work effectively.
Sugar must be added gradually and stirred continuously until it has completely dissolving in near-boiling water, otherwise caramelisation could occur, producing an indigestible and potentially toxic solution.
Sugar water should be allowed to cool before being fed to bees, either through an overhead feeder such as a frame feeder or division board feeder, or covered with some form of flotation material to protect them from falling into and drowning in its syrup; containers of Langstroth frame size make an ideal solution.
Storage
Winter necessitates storage of syrup so as to prevent its evaporation, as cold air cannot retain as much moisture than warm air can, leading to water vapor falling from the sky and condensing as dew on surfaces that come into contact with it.
Feeding bee colonies during winter with syrup feeds is not only an efficient way to supplement their stores but can also encourage them to draw out foundation and rear brood, particularly during spring. Feeds should typically be administered with ratios of 1:1 (sugar to water) or 2:1 (sugar by weight).
Sugar syrup should ideally be fed into a feeder placed directly outside the entrance to prevent its spillage and attract robbers. If this isn’t possible, using a wooden riser to elevate it off of the ground can allow bees accessing it without being shoved by other bees into it more easily.