Feeding bees syrup during autumn can help them store up enough food supplies for winter, but improperly-ripened syrup may lead to mold growth and other issues.
Maintaining the correct proportions of sugar water throughout the season is of vital importance for bee health and survival. Boiling makes sugar water undigestible to bees.
Contents
1. Mixing the Sugar
Sugar to water ratios differ among opinions for making syrups, with some choosing 1:1 as it resembles spring nectar and used to supplement honey stores, facilitate brood rearing in spring, or draw comb foundation; others opting for denser doses of 2:1 used as honey replacement during fall and winter.
When creating the syrup it is vital that hot or near boiling water be used; this will allow sugar to dissolve more quickly. Once prepared, allow time for cooling before adding bees.
A plastic freezer bag makes an effective bee feeder if you don’t own a hive feeder. Fill half of it with sugar water, cut or punch 6 to 8 holes in its lid, and place in on risers or frames of your hive top box.
2. Adding Water
When making sugar syrup, it is advised to bring water near boiling temperatures so as to speed up dissolution of sugar particles. After this has happened, the solution must be allowed to cool before giving to bee colonies.
Never pour your sugar solution directly into a bowl and leave it there, as that could be enough to cause many of your bees to drown. Also ensure the feeding station is far enough away so robbers won’t be drawn in by it.
Most beekeepers use a 2:1 ratio when creating sugar syrup, meaning there should be twice as much sugar in comparison to water. You can measure using cups or weight. With such an easy measurement system in place, beekeepers can quickly know how much sugar is added to their hive at any given time. Some beekeepers even add essential oils for additional fungus and mite control; you can find recipes online. (5)
3. Adding Pollen
Add pollen to your sugar syrup for more complete bee nutrition. This will boost their diet with extra protein before winter sets in. Collect pollen from your own hives or purchase it from local beekeepers.
Make this fortified syrup by mixing equal parts sugar and water at a ratio of 1:1, heating until just shy of boiling, and cooling to dissolve all crystals completely. Avoid boiling as this could caramelize and become toxic to bees, potentially making this solution indigestible to them and potentially unusable by humans.
Add essential oils like lemongrass or spearmint to your sugar syrup to stop mold growth and deter varroa mites and tracheal mites (5). Be sure that the oil mix has fully cooled before adding it to the sugar syrup; alternatively you could also try Honey-B-Healthy as another readymade solution to help your bees battle parasites and fungi more easily.
4. Adding Essential Oils
When making sugar syrup it is crucial that only white granulated sugar be used, as other types may contain additives which bees cannot digest. Raw or organic sugar may also contain harmful elements and should only be used once there are enough stores in the hive for transition from natural forage into stored food sources.
Beekeepers typically feed colonies a 2:1 sugar/water ratio in the fall for optimal colony feeding results. This denser syrup more closely resembles honey than spring sugar syrups and helps minimize brood rearing and promote stores accumulation.
To make syrup, combine sugar and water in a large container, heating until boiling begins, until sugar has completely dissolving and removed from heat. At that point, add lecithin as well as spearmint and lemongrass essential oils using either a dropper or tightly closed small glass bottle containing an oil source – it’s recommended that both methods of addition be done quickly for best results.
