Feeding dry sugar to an undernourished colony is an effective strategy when they cannot obtain sufficient nectar. Bees will liquefy it with water from their environment.
To provide dry sugar to bees in an effective and efficient manner, the Jay Smith bottom board feeder or candy boards with sugar bricks work effectively. Bees have evolved to feed on liquid foods.
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Choosing the Right Sugar
Sugar syrup is primarily the food of bees, though dry sugar may also provide them with sustenance in winter months. Granulated white sugar, which essentially consists of pure sucrose, is ideal; other sugars such as agave nectar or maple syrup contain less sucrose but more minerals, while Stevia, Xylitol, Mannitol (sugar alcohols), Stevia Gummies or high fructose corn syrup which may contain neonicotinoids may not be appropriate either!
Brown sugar contains 8 percent invert sugar (glucose and fructose), making it unsuitable for bees to consume. Drivert sugar, however, should never be fed directly to bees either; drivert is an indigestible form of granulated sugar mixed with molasses that should never be fed directly. Sugar feedings may prove particularly helpful during spring colony establishment and when weather patterns limit foraging activity – also useful in fall when strong colonies prepare to go dormant in autumn!
Preparing the Sugar
In springtime, many beekeepers use sugar water as a booster feed to start new colonies off right. Supplemental syrup may also help strengthen an overwintering colony or nuc that have experienced difficulties over the winter period.
Sugar water can be made in several ways, from mixing 1:1 sugar with water or 2:1 dry sugar with water, both providing equal amounts of carbohydrates; their only distinct feature lies in whether you combine by volume or by weight.
Sugar water can be made by placing granulated sugar in a feeder and mixing in enough water until it forms a sticky consistency. Alternatively, some beekeepers opt for a “frame or division board feeder,” which resembles the size and placement of a Langstroth frame in their hive – this should also include flotation material such as wood straw so bees can reach it without falling in and drowning!
Putting the Sugar in the Hive
When feeding syrup to your bees in early spring or during queen rearing, ensure it contains equal parts sugar and water in an empty pot or container and add sufficient chlorine bleach before pouring it into their hive. This will ensure any bacteria present on its surface can be eliminated so as to protect the honey crop.
Some beekeepers prefer creating solid winter feeds without using granulated sugar, such as candy boards. Bees will break it down using moisture from their bodies and transform the solid sugar into liquid form.
Other methods involve making larger batches of sugar water in 5-gallon buckets and keeping them chilled, or creating sugar bricks to place on top of the hive during winter months – these require more time and preparation, but can provide emergency winter feed.
Keeping the Hive Clean
Some beekeepers simply dump granulated sugar onto their colonies, which can be messy and cause difficulty for bees when trying to extract it from clusters. Furthermore, this restricts airflow within the hive and may lead to condensation — the third largest killer of bees during winter months.
Better beekeepers might opt for solid winter feed, such as candy boards or sugar bricks made of sugar and water (and occasionally other ingredients). They can be placed directly over the hive with limited access so robbers won’t gain entrance; Betterbee offers pre-formulated winter patties you simply open and place in your hive for this purpose.
Other beekeepers have developed homegrown solid feeds out of recycled items like tin cans, paint cans and plastic pails with lids. These solid food sources are placed above clustering bees for feeding purposes and feature various opening sizes – some even feature reducers so bees can escape in case their bottom entrance becomes blocked with snow or dead bees.
