The mountain camp method is a way of feeding honey bees dry sugar in winter. You lay a sheet of newspaper over the top bars of the top box and pour a layer of plain white granulated sugar on it, so the cluster can reach it directly. It is a simple emergency feed when stores run low and it is too cold for liquid syrup.
Why Beekeepers Use It
Liquid syrup is hard for bees to dry down in cold weather, and it can add moisture to the hive. Dry sugar is cheap, requires no cooking, and bees take it only as they need it. Granulated sugar also pulls in some condensation, which bees then use to dissolve and consume it.
How to Set It Up
- Check the hive on a mild day. Open the hive only when it is warm enough to do so briefly, usually above about 50°F. Confirm the bees are low on honey before feeding.
- Add an empty box. Place an empty hive body, or a shim or rim, on top of the top box so there is room for the sugar.
- Lay down newspaper. Cover the top bars with a few sheets of plain newsprint, leaving a gap or a few slits near the cluster so bees can move up through it.
- Pour on the sugar. Spread about 4 to 5 pounds of plain white sugar over the paper. Lightly mist it with a little water so it forms a crust and does not fall between the sheets.
- Close up and add an entrance reducer and keep the cover tight so the sugar stays dry.
When to Use It, and When Not To
Use it in late winter, when the cluster is close to running out of honey. Do not use it as a substitute for feeding in fall, when bees should be building their stores with syrup. For the fall strategy see feeding bees sugar water in fall. If you prefer a firmer block, making sugar boards for bees covers an alternative.
Common Mistakes
- Using brown sugar, powdered sugar with anti-caking additives, or raw sugar. Plain white granulated cane or beet sugar is the safe choice. Raw sugar can cause digestive trouble.
- Adding too much water so the sugar turns to syrup and drips onto the bees.
- Blocking all ventilation. Bees need some air movement to reduce moisture.
Bottom Line
The mountain camp method is an easy, low-cost way to give a hungry winter colony enough sugar to survive until spring. Treat it as a rescue feed and keep the sugar dry. Local bee clubs and your state apiarist can tell you the timing that fits your climate.
