Feeding your bees syrup early in the spring is one of the best ways to ensure they do not starve during their first honey flow of the season, particularly if they entered winter with limited stores. This step should especially benefit your bees who entered with low stores from winter.
Entrance feeders tend to be poor choices for spring feeding, as they promote robbing and can result in mold accumulating within the syrup. Instead, division board feeders offer better results.
Mixing the Sugar Water
There are various sugar water recipes, but we suggest using white cane sugar at a 1:1 weight-based ratio with water. When selecting sugar products to add, we typically suggest opting for raw or organic varieties of white cane sugar, brown sugar or molasses as these could contain impurities or additives which bees may have difficulty digesting; also avoid any high fructose corn syrup as this doesn’t have the same molecular structure and therefore is hard for bees to absorb.
To create sugar water, heat water until it begins to bubble, add the sugar, and stir continuously until all particles of it have dissolved. Beware allowing the mixture to boil after adding sugar; doing so could cause caramelisation and become indigestible.
Making sugar water should be done in an easily transportable container that allows beekeepers to transport it directly into their hives, such as a jar or tin with an upside-down mason jar lid that fits over its entrance. This allows bees to drink directly without going through an awkward bowl which invites thieves and drown workers; and helps prevent it fermenting or becoming mouldy over time – to counter this effect we recommend adding some Thymol or Surgical Spirit, which will kill bacteria that grow and keep it fresher longer!
The 2:1 Mixing Ratio
Sugar to water ratio in syrup should generally be two parts sugar to one part water by weight or volume, commonly referred to as light syrup or spring syrup. When temperatures warm up, light syrup is a perfect way for colonies to build new comb and raise young while stimulating brood rearing and laying.
2:1 syrups contain higher sugar contents than 1:1 versions, helping to slow the rate of fermentation and make them less likely to freeze during Florida winters. They’re also great for making pollen patties or essential oil supplements for colony feedings.
Sugar syrup should only be fed to colonies when temperatures have consistently exceeded 50 degrees and bees have become used to foraging and are ready for more sustenance. Feeding them earlier, while temperatures are still too cold may result in starved colonies; to ensure bees can take advantage of rising temperatures as quickly as possible, beekeepers should monitor local weather forecasts in spring so their bees are able to benefit as soon as they emerge.
The 1:1 Mixing Ratio
Beekeepers tend to rely on this sugar syrup recipe. It’s easy to measure by volume and can be stored in various containers such as a Boardman feeder, quart jars, plastic pails with holes or even one liter bottles.
You have two choices when it comes to sugar: granulated and powdered. Granulated is closer in chemical composition to natural nectar and thus less likely to have diarrhea effects on bees; additionally, it dissolves faster.
At any temperature, using the 1:1 ratio allows beekeepers to feed bees syrup at any temperature – even late winter or early spring – for easy feeding of bees with extra protein and carbohydrates to start laying and rebuild their stores. It is especially helpful in strengthening nucs or weaker overwintering colonies that need assistance to start laying and replenishing their stores quickly.
Please remember that honey bees should only receive their sugar feed when there is sufficient pollen available in spring for them to survive; overfeeding can cause it to ferment, harming or killing bees. It’s best to use sugar that has not been treated with herbicides or pesticides that could prove toxic for bees; additionally, taking care not to scald water could allow harmful bacteria and viruses to thrive in warm, damp environments like syrup.
