Sugar water is essential in keeping bee colonies fed in times of drought or other circumstances when nectar sources become limited. Making up a batch and placing it into frame feeders may seem like an innocuous act, but its effects could make or break the health of your colony.
Beekeepers traditionally feed bees using a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water for feeding purposes, irrespective of weight or volume measurements – both will work fine.
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1. Sugar Water
Most beekeepers feed their bees sugar water at some point during the year – even if honey is available – to encourage brood rearing, accelerate colony build up or simply provide nutrition when nectar flow slows. This may be done to encourage brood rearing or provide nourishment when nectar production drops off significantly.
Sugar crystals must be completely dissolving in hot but not boiling water before stirring to ensure complete dissolving of sugar crystals. This technique works best if using refined white or raw granules of refined white sugar as their molecular structure remains the same. To do this, completely dissolving all your sugar crystals requires complete dissolution using hot but not boiling water and mixing through.
Some beekeepers utilize a 2:1 syrup mix, comprising two parts sugar to one part water. This thinner honey alternative can help stimulate queen-rearing and comb building during spring and summer, as well as blocking entryways during queen introduction.
2. Pollen
Sugar syrup feeds serve several functions in beekeeping. One important purpose is stimulating brood rearing and nectar flow during spring; another purpose is preventing starvation during winter when natural forage becomes scarce; finally feeding syrup may increase pollen collection rates as bees prepare for another hive-building season.
To create a sugar syrup mixture for bees, first bring water to a boil in an uncovered pot before removing from heat and adding raw sugar until fully dissolved.
To feed sugar syrup mix to bees, place it in a shallow tray placed beneath their hive or an empty super. A riser such as grass or wood straw may help prevent bees from diving headfirst into the mixture and drowning; adding pollen will protect bee health by deterring mites and fungus growth and mite infestation.
3. Essential Oils
Essential oils added to sugar syrup mixes for bees can help combat mites, fungus, and other annoying insects that threaten their wellbeing. Furthermore, essential oils have also proven useful in stimulating winter bee activity and aiding them with brood nest comb-through in spring/summer months.
Refined white sugar (sucrose) can be mixed in various proportions to produce light, medium, and heavy syrups that provide food for bees when they cannot produce enough honey themselves. Bees use these supplies throughout the year if their honey production falls short of expected levels.
To create this straightforward mixture, begin with an empty mason or tin jar and punch or drill 6-8 small holes in its lid. Partially fill this container with sugar syrup before placing on an appropriate short riser such as from a quart jar’s rim for easy bee feedings – and resting your feeder jar upon the riser so the bees will consume the syrup through its holes!
4. Fruits
While honey is the ideal food source for bees, sugar syrup mixes may also be used as a temporary measure to supplement colony diets. A 2:1 mix of water and sugar often serves to supplement bee diets in times of crisis; light syrup in spring helps facilitate brood rearing and early nectar flows while heavier syrup in autumn can aid winter storage building efforts.
Sugar of any variety does not differ chemically; both white and brown varieties offer similar nutrients for beekeeping purposes. White sugar tends to be easier for bees to digest.
To create sugar syrup, fill part of a clean container with warm water and combine equal parts sugar and citric acid according to season recommendations. Beekeepers may add citric acid for extra mimicry of honey’s inverted sugars. Once complete, drill or punch holes into its lid so it can be placed into its intended location in the hive – depending on its height requirements a riser may also be necessary.