Whether you’re raising a bee in a backyard or purchasing a beekeeper kit, you may be wondering, “What can I give a bee to eat?” There are several options to consider. While most beekeepers recommend white sugar, you can also provide your hive with turbinado sugar or demerara sugar. These two types of sugar contain small amounts of molasses and shouldn’t have any negative effects on your bees. However, white sugar should be your first choice.
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Pollen
Bees need a variety of natural food sources to thrive. Many initiatives are underway to increase the availability of diverse natural forage. Beekeepers can do their part by planting more wildflowers and cutting back on mowing to allow more flowers to bloom. They can also create tailored seed mixes based on pollen analysis and research.
Bees eat pollen and nectar from flowers. Bee-collected pollen is superior to any pollen substitute. During the winter months, they move up the hive, collecting pollen as they go.
Pears
You can feed your bees with several types of fruit. While most people think of honey, bees will enjoy other types of sugary fruits, including pears and peaches. Apples are particularly appealing to bees, since they have softer skin that makes them easier to dig into. Apple orchards also provide a great source of nectar, and bees placed there will typically consume the fruit, even if there is no other source. Pear flowers also contain a lot of pollen, but little nectar. Therefore, honey bees are unlikely to be attracted to them, but the fruits are a favorite of bees.
You can make your own bee food by mixing sugar with water. Just heat some water until it dissolves the sugar crystals. You can then pour this into a feeder and let your bees enjoy their tasty treat. You can even flavor the syrup with essential oils like spearmint. These essential oils help keep the syrup fresh and help combat varroa and tracheal mites.
Honeydew
A bee can be given honeydew to eat. It is a highly nutritious food for the bee. However, honeydew is not the only food source of a bee. In some cases, a bee will only eat honeydew if it is combined with prey. Usually, this combination will result in a reduced mortality of the bee.
Bees can also collect honeydew from other insects’ droppings. These droppings contain high levels of sugar and help tide a hungry bee over until spring. Honeydew is collected in much the same way as plant nectar. It is often mixed with floral honey, but it is not identical to regular honey.
Sugar candy
Sugar candy provides a natural energy source for bees. Bees need energy to build wax foundations, so they need alternative energy sources. Sugar candy is a good choice, as it contains sucrose. Bees’ choice of candy is influenced by the taste and odor. A study conducted in Egypt found that cinnamon candy promoted beeswax secretion more than other types. However, it was not found to affect the percentage of built wax area.
One way to make sugar candy is to make candy boards, which are also known as candy boards. The recipe below makes enough for three candy boards, but you may want to adjust it to make the number of boards you need for your colony. First, you will need a sheet of parchment paper. Cut a square out of the paper, and then mix the sugar in with your hands. You’ll want to make sure the sugar candy is mixed evenly and that no corner is missing. You may also want to make the candy boards into snowballs or other shapes.
