Supplemental feeding may become necessary from time to time. New packages typically do not come equipped with sufficient resources and need time to build their resources up quickly. Hives that entered winter with low reserves may need feeding again in early spring as well.
Feed your colony quickly and easily using this simple solution: place a plastic freezer bag filled with sugar syrup on the top bars of the hive and cut a small hole into it – this method provides one of the easiest means of feeding them!
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Feeding the Bees
Feeding bees is often beneficial, but should always be used sparingly and only as needed. Some bees may never need feedings at all and attempting to force feed them may draw unwanted attention and invite robbing or pest problems into the hive.
Bees are eager to expand their combs and store more food during spring and summer, so providing sugar syrup will encourage this process and help meet their calorie needs as floral sources become scarcer.
For bees in need of nourishment, a mason jar placed over an entrance will do. Another effective approach is an “entrance feeder”, which looks similar to a frame and sits in the super as one does – small amounts of sugar syrup will then be consumed by bees and stored as honey in their cells; be sure only to use granulated white sugar; other varieties could present health risks to them.
Feeding the Hive
New or weak colonies need extra assistance to build up stores ahead of the spring nectar flow, especially during a dry summer with little flowers to provide nourishment for bees and make enough honeycomb stores for winter survival. Extra sugar helps them feed, create brood and store enough for future dearths.
Any clean container can serve as a feeder. Some beekeepers opt for jars with lids that have six small holes drilled or punched into them in order to simulate flowers, giving bees access to nectar and syrup as easily.
Other beekeepers employ Boardman feeders, which suspend sugar syrup-filled glass jars half an inch off the ground to deter robbing while being simple to check and refill. Entrance feeders sit near hive entrances but may attract robbers.
Hive Feeders
Feeding should only ever be seen as a last resort; however, sometimes it may become necessary when feeding an emerging colony or even established colonies are still not producing enough of their own food to meet their nutritional requirements. When this occurs it usually indicates stress which leaves bees susceptible to diseases and other conditions that compromise their wellbeing.
One method for feeding bees is through hive top feeders – containers inverted over the entrance hole that protect from mold growth while protecting bees from elements like wind and animals (especially raccoons).
Frame feeders provide another means of feeding. To create one, fill a plastic freezer bag halfway with sugar syrup before gently squeezing out any air pockets before tying off its neck and punching 6-8 small holes on its upper surface for bees to consume their sustenance through.
Hive Accessories
Hive accessories provide everything from entrance reducers and mouse guards to feeders for feeding the colony and frame perches for stacking frames when inspecting your hive.
An inexpensive plastic freezer bag equipped with holes is an easy and cost-effective bee feeder. Simply partially fill it with sugar syrup, place it atop the first deep super (the one containing frames), and allow bees to siphon it through its holes.
Mason jars are another popular option for feeding purposes, and to make their use simpler you may wish to consider building wooden risers to elevate the feeder off the ground and reduce any possibility of wildlife knocking it over. If using an entrance feeder, cover it with a box as this may reduce wildlife access.
