What I love about this frame feeder is that there are steps for the bees to climb in safely without drowning. So if the hive holds ten frames, you’ll use one feeder frame and nine regular frames. It can hold a decent amount of bee foodĪ frame feeder holds sugar water and replaces one frame in the hive body.This prevents you from accidentally drowning a bee that got stuck. When refilling your top feeder, make sure there are no bees in the main reservoir. Outside feeders are easily accessible to other colonies, so they may invade and steal the sugar water.īut the top feeder helps protect against this robbing behavior. Since this feeder is placed inside the hive, it helps deter robbing from other colonies. You also don’t have to disturb the hive to refill it with sugar water. Top feeders are a favorite amongst beekeepers because they’re easy to set up and clean. Top feederĪ top feeder sits on top of the upper box and under the outer cover. If you want to learn about both methods, then keep reading… 1. If you just want to feed your local bees, click here. If you’re a beekeeper who wants to feed your hive, click here. So in summary, your bees need three things:Ĥ Feeders to Use When Making Sugar Water for Bees Try using one of these bee waterers to get you started. Also, keeping a safe supply of water for your bees all year long is best. ![]() Providing your bees with pollen patties in the spring helps. Lastly, it’s important to remember that sugar only offers half of the dietary requirements for bees. Instead, bees eat their own honey or prefer candy boards because of their high sugar content. You just don’t want to collect sugar water for human consumption because you want real honey, not capped syrup.Īlso, making sugar water for bees in the winter won’t garner much attention from your hive. Sugar water is completely safe for your bees, even if it doesn’t make honey. That said, bees can’t turn sugar water into honey, so you’ll end up with sugary syrup instead of pure honey if you collect it. Or if you have a flow hive, you can pour the honey straight from the hive into a jar. Then, you’ll use a honey extractor to harvest that honey. It’s what you use to collect honey from your hive. Remember, a honey super is a box placed on a hive with frames of comb. When your bees have enough comb in the frames and honey stored for the winter, you can stop feeding them sugar water.įor new hives, it can take several months or longer to get established.ĭon’t feed your bees sugar water when you have honey supers on your hive. Wait until the colony has created combs and started filling them with honey.Īs you do your hive inspections, you can check how much honey is being produced. And while it’s true that nectar will become more available as flowers bloom in the spring, this doesn’t mean you should stop feeding your bees. Hives are especially hungry in the early spring because they’ve just come out of winter. ![]() There are times when you should and shouldn’t be feeding your bees sugar water.Ī common mistake new beekeepers make is not feeding their new or weak colonies long enough. When to Stop Feeding Your Bees Sugar Water This will help your bees store up food for the winter.Īnd lastly, allow the sugar water to cool before pouring it into your bee feeders. ![]() Since this mixture contains more sugar than water, it’ll have a syrup-like texture. Never use brown sugar or molasses as it can hurt your bees. ![]() Heat on the stove over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Sugar Water for Bees in Springįor the fall, your sugar-water ratio will be 2:1.įor example, mix two cups of sugar with one cup of water. So let’s talk more specifically about both of these sugar water recipes. This will help them survive the winter.īut there are a few more things you should know first. In the fall, you’ll feed bees 2:1 sugar water (two parts sugar to one part water). This helps new or weak hives get established and promotes brood rearing. In the spring, you’ll feed bees 1:1 sugar water (one part sugar to one part water). 2 Ratios to Use When Making Sugar Water for Bees So are you ready for the sugar water recipe? So that leads us to the million-dollar question:īecause sugar water can help boost the strength of your colony in the early spring or prepare them for winter. Both of these things can keep your colony alive and promote a healthy bee population. As a beekeeper, you have tons of questions about maintaining a healthy and happy hive.
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