Some beekeepers prefer using a diluted sugar syrup in place of honey when feeding their bees. They mix two pounds of sugar with one pint of water in a ratio varying between 1:1 and 2:1.
These syrups may be given in early autumn as a stimulative feed to encourage egg production or to build winter stores. Some also administer fumigiln to combat nosema disease.
Contents
Benefits
Inverted syrup is a widely-used supplemental honey bee feed used during spring to aid colony growth and development. It may also be utilized in autumn to provide controlled supplies of carbohydrates for winter months.
Bees obtain their carbohydrates from nectar, honeydew and pollen (Haydak 1970; Brodschneider and Crailsheim 2010). When these sources of food become scarce or harvested honey is unavailable, beekeepers must provide supplemental carbohydrates for their colonies by feeding them sucrose solution or inverted sugar syrup.
Essentially, this is made by boiling white sugar (sucrose = 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose) with citric acid or cream of tartar until 114 C (237 F). * These acids or enzymes speed up the conversion of sucrose to glucose and fructose.
Preparation
Inverted syrup for bees is an artificial nutritional supplement that supplies insects with enough energy during spring and autumn. It also stimulates egg-laying in the queen bee, increasing colony strength and helping them prepare for wintering.
Preparing inverted syrup requires precise control over ingredients, raw material quality and cooking temperature to avoid spoilage or contamination during processing. Furthermore, it’s essential that no bacteria escape during this step of production.
Inverted syrup can be easily made at home using the yeast-enzymatic agent “PCHELIT,” which has a high invertase activity. Simply dilute with honey and water before keeping at 35 deg C for 7 days; stirring several times daily until all foam subsides – then pour into containers for safe and economical storage of honey for bees.
Storage
Nutrition is vital for the development and health of honey bee colonies. Bees need carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and minerals in order to thrive and flourish.
Bees naturally collect these substances from their environment. However, during certain times of year or in regions with scarce natural resources, beekeepers provide their colony with supplemental sources of carbohydrates. Common examples include sucrose solution, homemade inverted sugar syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and starch syrup (Haydak 1970; Brodschneider and Crailsheim 2010).
Homemade inverted syrup for bees can be produced without acids or enzymes by heating two parts granulated sugar and one part water over medium heat for five to seven minutes. Unfortunately, the yield is relatively small and not as efficient as when catalysed by acid or enzymes.
Safety
Beekeepers must take several safety measures when feeding their bees inverted syrup. These include storing the syrup at a cool, dry location between 10degC and 17degC; not spilling any on the outside of the apiary; and only feeding inside of the hive.
It is essential to be aware that homemade syrup may contain hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which can be toxic to bees at very high concentrations.
Therefore, homemade sugar syrups must be prepared with great caution. This is especially true if they aren’t acidified with lemon or contain more than 10,000 mg/L of HMF.
To assess the antibacterial potential of bee-processed sucrose and inverted sugar feeds, we collected 11 samples each from different bee colonies and measured their antibacterial activity using MIC values (minimum inhibitory concentration).