There are a few different methods of feeding your bees in the spring. You can use sugar syrup made from cane or beet sugar. Be sure to choose organic sugar if possible to limit the amount of pesticides introduced into the food. Sugar syrup should be 1:1 in water to encourage the birds to feed directly from the syrup.
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Mountain camp sugar method
Feeding bees in spring isn’t difficult if you follow a few simple instructions. The Mountain Camp method is an easy way to feed bees. It involves placing a sheet of newspaper on top of the feeder rim or eke and dumping dry granulated sugar in the top bars. The sugar will collect moisture from the bees’ respiration and will be used as a source of food for the bees.
The Mountain camp method was originally intended to feed bees in emergency situations, when they did not have enough honey stored. The trend now is to feed bees more frequently. A shallow super can hold up to 20 pounds of sugar. Alternatively, you can use a candy board.
When feeding bees in spring, be sure to check the stores of food in the hives. If they don’t have enough food for their larvae, they will die. To find out whether the bees have sufficient stores, lift the upper deep of the hive and feel if there are any stores. If you don’t have much food, you can use a 2:1 sugar syrup. Until the first frost, you can also feed them with fondant or candy boards.
Fondant bee candy
If you have a hive, the best way to feed bees in the spring is by providing them with tasty treats. Using bee candy is a great way to provide these beneficial insects with a nutritional boost. Unlike the syrup that they are typically fed in the winter, which increases the humidity of their hive and can cause them to freeze, bee candy is a dry, sugary substance.
In addition to bee candy, you can also provide liquid syrup. Typically, this feed is offered in late winter or early spring. The liquid syrup can stimulate the bees to start building their comb earlier. This liquid feed is often delivered in a frame feeder.
Fondant can be made in many ways. First, you can mix one quart of water with five pounds of granulated sugar. Then, stir constantly to dissolve the sugar. Then, you can pour the mixture into molds or onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
Entrance feeders
Entrance feeders are simple to use. Simply fill the feeder with sugar water and place it near the entrance of the hive. Although they do not store large quantities of food, entrance feeders do require frequent replenishment. One drawback is that these feeders can be a target for robber bees and other hive predators.
In mild climates, entrance feeders are fine. However, they should not be used in colder temperatures. In such a situation, the bees might have trouble locating the food. This may result in robbing. As a result, feeding bees in spring and early summer should be done with extra care.
A wooden entrance feeder is ideal for feeding bees. This product comes with a lid. It weighs 2 pounds and measures about 20 x 1 x 16 inches. It fits perfectly in a quart-sized glass jar. The feeder comes with one feeder cap, but it is possible to buy extra caps to accommodate various amounts of food.
Problems with feeding pollen inside the hive
While feeding pollen to bees is an easy way to increase the yield of honey, it also comes with some risks. Bees can become stressed and even starved if pollen is fed to them inside the hive. The best way to ensure that pollen won’t cause these problems is to leave a pile of dry pollen underneath a rainproof shelter. This can be a simple bucket turned on its side. This will prevent the pollen from getting wet and causing it to caking. In most cases, bees are not interested in pollen that has caked.
If you want to feed your bees pollen, try to use sugar syrup instead. This type of food won’t attract small hive beetles, but it will prevent your bees from feeding on natural pollen. You can also try using a dry pollen substitute. Bees will ignore these patties when there’s plenty of natural pollen inside the hive.
