Honey can provide essential support for bee colonies during times when their food sources become limited, particularly new colonies or weather conditions that limit their ability to forage for nectar sources. This is particularly important during harsher weather conditions that impede foraging operations.
Feeding bee clusters efficiently is ideal, yet this may prove challenging in the short term. To do this successfully requires having access to full shallow supers of capped honey.
Contents
Sugar Syrup
Beekeepers generally agree that providing light syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water) mimics natural nectar flow and plays an essential role in spring colony build up. This strategy can especially beneficial in areas with limited flying days when bees require extra supplies in their hives to replenish stores quickly.
For an easy simple syrup recipe, just bring water to a boil, mix in granulated sugar until dissolved and cool the mixture before pouring it into bottles for storage in your fridge.
While creating syrup, you can experiment with adding flavorings such as honey or vanilla or herbs such as mint to make your feed unique. A small puddle of syrup at the entrance of your hive or inside a frame feeder will attract bees; alternatively use a quick feeder (a type of hive top feeder resembling a super) to trickle it through its hole/slot in order to prevent bees from drowning.
Pollen Patties
Add protein patties to the hive during times when forage is scarce to ensure your colony can continue thriving. These patties consist of pollen, sugar and other ingredients which promote brood production in your hive; you can buy or make these yourself; each beekeeper often has their own recipe!
A patty can be placed inside a beehive on top of frames directly over a brood cluster and will be eaten up by house bees and their larvae, who will produce brood cells that lead to strong colonies and an abundant honey flow later in the season.
Many beekeepers utilize patties during the summer as an additional protein source during periods of dearth, but only if their colony’s brood pattern has significantly slowed due to low stores or lack of forage. Note: summer patties may attract Small Hive Beetles (SHB), so place these strategically so they will not come within reach.
Mineral Bee
Researchers from Tufts University recently discovered that honey bee colonies are expert at finding missing minerals such as potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca). These vital elements help facilitate metabolic reactions as well as nervous system polarisation/depolarisation processes.
Bees that cannot access minerals in their pollen will try to get these essential minerals from other food sources – including water – however high concentrations of metals can have detrimental effects on colony health and foraging behaviors.
Mineral Bee is an easy and straightforward way of providing honey bees with all of their essential minerals and trace elements, providing all they require for good health and vitality. Simply add 10ml to 1 litre of syrup feed, fondant or drinking water and it is colourless and odourless! McGee Group developed it specifically to increase nutritional value while simultaneously improving bee health.
Other Additives
Some beekeepers utilize additional supplements or additives in addition to sugar syrup for beekeeping. Abbas et al conducted tests using black gram as a pollen replacement, finding it very effective at increasing colony size and honey yield in comparison with soybean meal (control).
Sugar syrup with added nutrients such as nettle extract has been shown to promote rapid foundation draw out and brood rearing, while also decreasing chances of robbing or drowning caused by bees having to break Winter clusters just to gain access. Furthermore, this method makes refilling simpler as well.