Honey bee colonies rely on foraging for nectar sources to supplement their food stores, but in early spring established colonies can quickly exhaust their reserves of honey storage. Therefore, it’s critical that hives possess enough stored honey reserves until flowering plants start providing steady nutrition sources.
Supplemental feeding may be necessary during early spring to foster comb building and population expansion in newly installed packages, particularly when weather limits foraging opportunities.
Contents
1. Dry Sugar
In late winter and early spring, if your bees have used up all their stored honey for warmth and are not getting enough nectar from foraging due to weather conditions, they may require extra food in the form of packages or nucs. This is particularly relevant if you have new colonies (whether packages or nucs).
Feed them with a 1:1 sugar solution, while some beekeepers prefer using a heavier syrup of 2 parts sugar to one part water.
Sugar to water ratio doesn’t matter since bees will eventually transform it to honey themselves. Calculating its content via weight or volume won’t matter as they will use what works for them best. Some beekeepers opt for using double jar feeders inside the hive which reduce robbing as well as risk of drowning; these feeders also make refilling simple.
2. Pollen Substitutes
Pollen substitutes provide honeybees with essential proteins and other essential nutrients during times of limited natural forage. A high-quality pollen replacement should mimic the nutritional profiles found in natural pollen, including essential fatty acids such as omega-3s and omega-6s which support health and immune function in honeybees. Dadant & Sons offers two exceptional pollen replacement products: Artificial Pollen 23 Winter Patties and Natural Bee Pollen which have both been specially developed to meet this need.
Northern areas often experience limited or monofloral early spring pollen supplies, so providing additional pollen may be useful to encourage brood rearing and build hive stores before more abundant natural forage becomes available. However, feeding pollen alternatives in spring may not be necessary in order to avoid low winter hive populations due to reduced pollen production.
3. Water
As winter gives way to spring, overwintering queens resume egg-laying and brood rearing activities – consuming significant food resources quickly depleting inhive honey reserves. Beekeepers ensure their colonies have ample food supplies ahead of the first major nectar flow of the year by supplementing feedings of 1:1 sugar water feedings.
Bees spend considerable time searching for water, which reduces their foraging efficiency. By providing it nearby the hives, providing water helps decrease foraging trips per hour and maximize the amount collected by foraging bees. To maximize their success collecting this source consistently in location and smell/taste. For this purpose we suggest placing a shallow bowl or pool of water near sunny spots in which bees will imprint themselves upon it and return repeatedly throughout their day; vanilla extract, lemon juice or mint oil can be added to enhance taste for bees.
4. Honey
As daylight lengths lengthen, bee queens resume egg-laying and brood rearing activities. As their offspring develops rapidly, bees must draw on stored honey and pollen resources to feed their growing brood.
When worker bees collect nectar, they store it for later in their abdomen in what’s known as their honey stomach. Chewing of nectar in this compartment releases enzymes which break down complex sugars into simpler glucose and fructose for easy digestion.
Beekeepers may discover in early spring that their bees’ honey reserves have run dry, yet still require nourishment through feeding with sugar syrup and pollen replacement products. A substantial colony may still thrive with regular sugar syrup administration and pollen substitute feedings.
Beekeepers can plant recommended herbaceous plants in their landscape to supplement bee food sources in the spring. These species are well adapted to local climate and soils, adding beauty and biodiversity to any setting – plus wildlife attractants! Below is a chart with recommended flowering shrubs and trees which benefit honey bees as well as beneficial insects.
