Honey bee colonies must gather and store enough food supplies to last through winter, which can be affected by many factors; rainy or cold periods can reduce forage supplies; Varroa mite infestation can speed up consumption rates; or greedy beekeepers could deplete supplies.
On occasion, beehives require additional feeding as part of their management strategy. It should be treated as an emergency measure and carried out with care.
Contents
1. Sugar Water
Hives with little honey left after the spring and summer nectar flows may benefit from feeding a 2:1 sugar water mixture – consisting of 2 parts sugar to one part water by weight or volume.
Thin syrup that resembles honey is quickly processed and stored by bees for winter use or in cases of nectar shortage in fall or winter. This helps the colony prepare for survival if nectar shortages arise in either fall or winter.
Heat the water and sugar mixture until it gently boils, then remove from heat source. Stir until all sugar crystals have disintegrated. Remember never to boil again after adding sugar as this could caramelise it making it partially indigestible or toxic to bees.
Pour the mixture into a bottle or jar and secure its lid or top. If using a jar, use a nail to punch several small holes in its lid so that bees can easily drink from it without spilling out syrup.
2. Syrup
One effective approach to feeding syrup during fall months is with a Miller feeder – an inverted container placed atop of the hive and filled with sugar syrup that cannot be reached by robbers as its bottom is sealed shut. Holes drilled or punched into its lid allow bees access it by climbing through them; many different versions exist on the market such as using jars, paint cans with holes punched into them, plastic buckets or even tin cans as these Miller feeders can be made.
To create syrup, simply heat water until it reaches a gentle boil before taking it off the stove and mixing in sugar. Some beekeepers prefer creating their syrup using more sugar than water (a 2:1 mixture). Always avoid boiling after adding sugar as this could caramelise and render it undigestable to bees.
3. Pollen
Bee colonies can grow so rapidly that nectar or pollen becomes scarce, particularly during spring when their queen lays her first brood and fall when the colony stores up food reserves for winter survival.
In these instances, when food stores in a hive may be low, it is crucial that additional sugar syrup or even capped honey be fed in order to ensure that colonies have enough fat stores to weather winter with minimal issues.
Weather can also have an effect on a colony’s ability to harvest. Prolonged inclement conditions may impair foragers from flying and thus reduce harvest output. Another reason may be swarming, taking up valuable storage and leaving workers short of protein; this issue can be corrected with feeding pollen substitute in powder form or through patties.
4. Honey
Honey bees forage for several items to bring back to their colonies: water, nectar and pollen. They also gather beneficial bacteria and fungi which provide larval nutrition. When forage becomes scarce (which often happens during late summer and fall), honey bees may need feeding directly by humans.
Feeding bees in the fall is an often controversial subject among beekeepers. Some may view it as unnecessary and risking issues such as robbing, brood nest congestion and colony depopulation; other beekeepers use higher ratios of sugar syrup to water (often up to 2:1) in order to stimulate brood production and ensure enough honey stores before winter sets in.
Whatever the case may be, it is vital that colonies receive sufficient food. Make sure you provide the appropriate syrup; one which mimics the type of flower nectar from which honey was made will likely be more appealing to honey bees.