Feeding bees with sugar water involves more than mixing equal parts of sugar and water – it requires specific ratios tailored specifically for different seasons, while using an inappropriate type of sugar could make their lives miserable or even take their lives.
White sugar should always be used, since brown sugar contains molasses that could lead to nosema (bee dysentery). You can measure by either weight or cups – there’s no need to be exact with either option!
Contents
Pollen
A 1:1 sugar and water ratio provides bees with a light syrup that encourages brood production in spring while simulating nectar availability. Some beekeepers opt to create heavier 2-part syrup (2:1). This higher concentration stimulates comb building and egg laying during fall as well as keeping their hives warm through cold winters.
Properly measuring sugar and water is key for creating an effective sugar syrup recipe. Use dry granulated sugar mixed with uncontaminated water as this will not attract bacteria into your syrup mixture. Measure either by weight or volume but take caution not to boil as this may create caramelization that makes the bees indigestible.
Some beekeepers add essential oils as a supplement and mold prevention measure in their sugar water, such as lemongrass or spearmint oils that may help deter varroa mites and tracheal mites while providing extra nutrition for their bees.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have quickly become part of our culture, with people turning to them for everything from anxiety relief to treating skin blemishes. Because essential oils are highly concentrated substances, we advise using them with caution by following recommended dosages.
Beekeepers use various ratios of sugar and water when formulating syrup for feeding bees at different times throughout the year. A 1:1 mixture works well in spring feedings as it encourages brood rearing while closely mimicking natural nectar flavors that assist early egg laying by bees.
As bees can be vulnerable to chemicals present in other forms of sugar, it’s crucial that only pure cane sugar be used when making syrup for beekeeping. Beet sugar has also been known to cause nosema in bees. If possible, find pure cane sugar locally either through bee supply stores or farmer’s markets.
Nectar
Pollinators depend on nectar from flowers blooming at different times throughout the year as a source of energy and nutrition, mitigating any negative weather impacts; this diversity also serves to buffer against bad weather events – though in temperate climates winter and spring months can often prove challenging for bees.
Addition of sugar syrup to bee colony’s diet can provide them with extra energy for building comb and raising brood, as well as helping them survive when natural forage is scarce due to cold temperatures, wet weather or drought conditions.
Beekeepers create sugar water by mixing white sugar with hot water in accordance with seasonally appropriate ratios. Once mixed, the syrup should cool to room temperature before feeding to bees; brown sugar contains chemicals that cause dysentery in bees that can kill them! Many beekeepers place small containers such as jars or tins with push-down lids on top bars of their hive with slits cut in them for bee access; bees then have easy access to their sustenance source!
Boiling
Beekeepers frequently add essential oils to sugar syrup in order to combat mites and fungus infestation. You can purchase commercial versions, or mix your own in 1:1 proportions at home using 1:1 sugar syrup ratio.
Beekeepers employ two basic recipes for bee sugar water; a 1 to 2 syrup mixture to stimulate brood rearing, and a 2:1 syrup mix used during fall hive maintenance. Both require hot but not boiling water to dissolve sugar fully; stirring should suffice until all sugar crystals have been dislodged from solution.
Beekeepers typically employ internal feeders such as double jar or division board feeders to prevent robbers and other insects from accessing the syrup supply, making it easier to check and replace when necessary. Entrance feeders placed outside of the hive may encourage bee theft while entrance feeders located at its entrance may encourage yellow jacket invasion – it would be best if entrance feeders could be avoided as much as possible.
