During the cold winter months, it is crucial to make preparations for feeding honey bees. You can install a late winter feed when closing your hives. This way, the bees will have plenty of food throughout the cold weather and won’t have to be exposed to cold temperatures. You can use a variety of sugar-based foods to feed your bees. The traditional candy board, sugar on newspaper, or fondant are all great choices. We personally like the no-cook candy board method.
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Sugar patties
Sugar patties are an excellent source of supplemental food for bees during the winter. They help them soak up moisture from the hive and provide them with nutrition at the end of the winter season. However, it’s important to monitor the hive closely and ensure the patties are not too dry or too small to cause starvation. The patties should be kept in a feeding shim and occasionally moistened with water. Sugar patties should not be used as the primary food supplement during winter.
Sugar patties can be prepared in a number of ways. For example, you can mix equal parts of sugar and syrup and place it on wax paper. Then, place it over the winter bee cluster, or the middle of a shallow box.
Sugar crystals
In order to feed the bees during the winter, you can make a syrup that is rich in sugar crystals. The ratio of sugar to water should be two parts to one part. The sugar crystals should be stirred in the water until they dissolve. The syrup should then be placed in a feeder. The syrup can also be flavored by adding essential oils. For example, you can add spearmint to the syrup to provide a pleasant smell. The essential oil also helps the bees find the syrup easier.
In addition to using sugar crystals as honey bee food for winter, you can also feed colonies dry white table sugar. This is not a good idea for weak colonies because the bees need water to liquefy the crystals. However, you can always wet the sugar to prevent it from solidifying and creating partial syrup. Feeding dry sugar is not recommended for weak colonies, because you’ll be unable to collect enough water from the hive. Also, the best time to feed dry sugar is in autumn and spring, when humidity is high. In summers, dry weather makes it difficult for the bees to dissolve the sugar crystals into liquid.
Commercial fondant
Commercial honey bee food fondant is available in several forms. Most people are familiar with fondant from baking. The commercial variety is smooth and glossy, and is usually mixed using an industrial mixer. Commercial bee fondant, on the other hand, does not need to be smooth and glossy. Instead, it should be more like a doughy paste than a liquid. Mixing the fondant for a while will create a solution that resembles mashed potatoes.
Commercial honey bee food fondant has many benefits for bees. It prevents them from starving during winter and spring. It also contains the right amount of amino acids and vitamins. In addition, bees will not have to leave the cluster to get to the stores for food, making it easier for them to survive the winter.
White table sugar
White table sugar is a suitable alternative to honey, which bees can use to make a syrup. The sugar syrup should contain two parts sugar and one part water. A sugar syrup calculator can help determine the right proportion. Sugar cakes and dry granulated sugar can also be used as an alternative sugar feed.
Sugar syrup is not a substitute for pollen. It will supplement the nectar the bees normally collect and store during the winter. Sugar never causes diarrhea, so plain table sugar is the best winter feed for bees. The concentration of the syrup should depend on the specific needs of the bees.
Despite its name, white sugar does not contain the micronutrients found in honey. Sugar water is also less concentrated than honey, but it introduces moisture to the hive. During the Winter, beekeepers must maintain good ventilation in their hives. Otherwise, sugar water may freeze before the bees can get to it.
Water with 0.15- 0.3% salt
Honeybees prefer water with 0.15-0.3% salt. The ratio of sugar to water is generally 1:1, although it can be slightly different depending on the type of nectar. Be careful not to get caught up with the exact ratio; the most important thing is to get the sugar dissolved. Bring the nectar to a simmer and then add the sugar, whisking until the crystals dissolve. If the water is very cold, the bees will need more churning to dissolve the sugar crystals.
For the winter season, beekeepers should provide their bees with water with 0.15 0.3% salt. This amount of salt is equivalent to one teaspoon of table salt. It is recommended that you use uniodinated salt, as it is the best for the bees. Beekeepers should start this process early in the spring, so that they have plenty of time to find water sources.
