What do you feed your bees in winter? In my experience, there are a few different options. Some people use Pollen patties to promote brood production. Others use Sugar syrup or fondant. Regardless of the choice you make, be sure to consider what is safe and healthy for your colony. Listed below are a few tips to help you choose the best food for your bees during the winter months.
Pollen patties stimulate brood production
To stimulate brood production, give your bees pollen patties. These patties should be placed in the center of the hive and can be easily slipped underneath the inner cover. They should also be placed on the top bars in the upper part of the hive. If you do not know when to give your bees pollen patties, you can always make this decision based on your observations of your hive.
However, you must know that pollen patties are not a necessity for every beekeeper. They can be fed to all colonies, but these are more suitable for those who want to increase hives, hire beekeepers for pollination, or simply want to boost the number of queens. Besides increasing your hive population, pollen patties are also beneficial for weak colonies. The timing for pollen patties is important.
Pollen patties are generally fed during the pollen dearth in early spring and late February or March. If you have a cold climate, you should feed your bees during this time, as this will ensure that they will have enough food for brood production. However, you should not feed your bees with pollen patties when they already have plenty of brood. In addition to feeding your bees with pollen patties, you can also feed them with sugar syrup to mimic the natural food source for the queen bee.
Sugar syrup
One common problem that beekeepers face is how to feed their bees throughout the winter. Bees will feed off of sugar syrup throughout the winter and fall, but there are some important things that beekeepers must know about winter feeding. Beekeepers must be aware of impurities in sugar syrup and choose a suitable substitute. Impurities can cause nosema or bee sickness. Sugar syrup for bees in winter should be made using refined table sugar, which has a molecular formula of C12H22O11.
Depending on the kind of honeybee colonies, you can either weigh or measure the sugar syrup you mix. A one to two syrup mixture contains a proportion of 1 part sugar to two parts water. Mix it thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Afterwards, transfer the sugar mix into the bee feeder. The mixture must be allowed to cool before it is fed to bees. Beekeepers may use fondant instead of syrup because it does not require boiling water.
Beekeepers often mix two parts sugar to one part water. This type of syrup is usually thick and sweet and used as a food source when honey supplies are low. When preparing the syrup, it is important to stir it thoroughly to dissolve the crystals. Beekeepers should never boil sugar syrup as it will change its chemical composition and make it indigestible to bees. If you wish to serve your bees with sugar water, be sure to follow the 7-step guide to make the syrup.
Fondant
If you’re wondering what to feed your bees in the winter, the answer is probably fondant. Bees love the sweet taste of this sticky, white substance. In winter, the best time to feed them is when they’re running low on stores and syrup is too cold to use. Beekeepers use fondant to top up their colonies during the cold months when stores are running low. Bees don’t have to leave their cluster to find the fondant, and it’s easy to handle without causing robbing or problems.
While you might be thinking that putting sugar syrup in the winter is a good idea for your bees’ nutrition, the truth is that most of it isn’t actually for them to eat. In fact, the main purpose of winter feed is to keep the bees from starving during the winter. Moreover, cold syrup doesn’t harm or help bees, so don’t worry.
To make fondant, combine 5 pounds of granulated sugar with a quart of water. Stir the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved completely. It will then turn white and become creamy, with air bubbles. Once it reaches this stage, pour the mixture into molds and store them in a container lined with wax paper. It is best to feed the bees as early as possible, as feeding late can put a strain on the colony.
