Feeding Bees With Ziplock Bags

Feeding bees with a ziplock bag is one of the cheapest ways to give a colony sugar syrup. You fill a freezer bag with syrup, lay it on the top bars of the frames, and cut small slits so the bees can sip from it. It keeps the syrup inside the hive, which lowers the risk of robbing.

What you need

• A gallon-size resealable freezer bag (heavy-duty, not thin sandwich bags)
• Sugar syrup: 1:1 sugar to water in spring, or 2:1 in fall
• A razor blade or sharp scissors
• An empty hive body or feeder shim so the lid can close over the bag

How to do it

1. Fill the bag about three-quarters full with room-temperature syrup. Do not overfill, because a swollen bag can crush bees.
2. Press out the air and seal it tightly.
3. Lay it flat on the top bars over the cluster.
4. Cut a few short slits, about an inch long, across the top of the bag. Do not cut near the edge.
5. Add a shim or empty box around the bag, replace the inner cover and outer cover, and leave it alone.

Bees can reach the syrup through the slits without drowning, and it is close to the cluster, so they do not have to leave the warmth of the hive.

Pros and cons

• Pros: very cheap, simple, syrup stays inside the hive, and it works well early in the season.
• Cons: bags can leak, they are single use, and slits that are too large can let syrup flow out. You also need a shim or empty box for space.

Compare this method with a bucket feeder and the Miller feeder to see which suits your setup.

Tips

• Use only plain white sugar. Brown sugar and honey from unknown sources can cause dysentery or spread disease.
• Do not use thin bags that tear or bags that held non-food items.
• Check after a day or two. If the bag is empty, replace it. If it has not been touched, the colony may not need feeding.
• When it is too cold for liquid syrup, switch to a dry method such as the mountain camp method.

For syrup recipes, see the right way to make sugar water for bees.

Bottom Line

A ziplock feeder is an easy, low-cost way to feed a small number of hives. Use a sturdy bag, cut only small slits, and check it regularly.