Feeding Syrup

Syrup feeding (sugar syrup feeding) means giving bees a liquid feed made by dissolving sugar in water, inside the hive; the bees process the syrup like nectar and store it in the comb. Thin syrup (1 : 1) stimulates egg laying and comb building, while thick syrup (2 : 1) is used in autumn to top up winter stores.

What does sugar syrup do for bees?

Syrup, often simply called sugar water or sugar syrup, is the most widely used carbohydrate feed in beekeeping. Bees collect it like nectar, evaporate its water, process it with enzymes and store it in the cells. That is why syrup is used for two different purposes:

• Building stores: Topping up winter stores that fall short after the harvest or in a dearth year.
• Stimulating: Creating the impression of a nectar flow in nature to encourage the queen to lay and the workers to draw wax.

Syrup on its own contains no protein; to increase bee numbers, the brood must also be fed with pollen. For a general decision guide, see the page Feeding: Syrup, Fondant and Pollen.

Thin syrup and thick syrup

Ratios are given by weight: for 1 : 1 syrup use 1 litre (1 kg) of water per 1 kg of sugar, and for 2 : 1 syrup use 1 litre of water per 2 kg of sugar. The advantage of thick syrup is that the bees have less water to evaporate; it is stored and capped quickly. Thin syrup, being closer to nectar, stimulates the colony more.

How do you make sugar syrup for bees?

1. Heat the water: Heat clean drinking water to just below boiling and take it off the stove.
2. Add the sugar: Stir in white table sugar (sucrose) until it is completely dissolved. Do not boil the sugar for long.
3. Cool it: Let the syrup stand until it is lukewarm or at room temperature. Hot syrup can harm the bees.
4. Use it straight away: Syrup can ferment quickly; make only as much as you need and use it within a few days.

Which sugar should be used?

• White table sugar: The most reliable and most common choice.
• Ready-made syrups produced for bees: These are invert sugar or glucose–fructose blends; those made specifically as bee feed should be preferred.
• What not to use: Brown sugar, molasses, grape molasses, fruit juice, caramelised sugar and honey of unknown origin. The indigestible substances in brown sugar and molasses can cause dysentery, especially in winter.

Should anything be added to the syrup?

Adding herbal teas, vinegar, salt, vitamin mixes and similar additives to syrup is a common habit, but the evidence for their benefit is limited. Some additives (especially acids and heating) may even do harm. Never add antibiotics or unlicensed medicines to syrup; they leave residues in honey and wax, drive the development of resistance and are illegal.

When should you feed syrup?

Autumn feeding (winter stores)

If stores are short after the harvest, thick syrup is fed. The aim is for the bees to process and cap the syrup while the weather is still warm. Autumn feeding should therefore be finished before daytime temperatures regularly drop below 10–12 °C. Giving large amounts in a short time lets the colony build stores without needlessly stimulating brood rearing.

Spring stimulative feeding

Thin syrup given little and often a few weeks before the main nectar flow can help the colony go into the flow strong. Stimulative feeding only makes sense in healthy colonies with adequate stores and pollen. Overdoing it fills the brood cells with syrup and can increase the swarming tendency.

New colonies and comb building

Newly hived swarms, splits and package colonies need plenty of energy to draw out foundation. If there is no flow in nature, thin syrup is fed. Because wax production is very energy-demanding, syrup noticeably speeds up the colony's development during this period.

Summer dearth

During a long drought or between flows, stores can run low. If the supers have been removed and the colony is in danger of starving, syrup is fed. Robbing risk is at its highest in this period; step up your precautions.

Syrup feeders: types and use

• Frame feeder (division board feeder): A container placed inside the hive in place of a frame. Because it stays inside the hive it is safe against robbing; it must have a climbing surface or floating material so the bees do not drown.
• Top feeder (tray feeder): A wide container placed on top of the hive. It holds a lot of syrup and can be filled without opening the hive; suitable for autumn feeding.
• Inverted container feeder: A jar or bucket with a perforated lid is turned upside down and placed over the hole in the crown board. The vacuum lets the syrup come through drop by drop.
• Entrance feeder: Easy to fill, but because it brings the feed outside the hive it attracts robbers and wasps. Not recommended in strong apiaries.
• Plastic bag: A bag full of syrup is laid on top of the top bars and its upper surface is pierced with a few small holes. Cheap and practical; it needs space between the cover and the top bars.

What to watch out for when feeding syrup

1. Feed in the late afternoon: Syrup given once flight has slowed down excites robber bees less.
2. Do not spill: Syrup dripping in front of or outside the hive starts robbing.
3. Reduce the entrance: Weak colonies in particular must be protected during feeding.
4. Do not put open containers in the apiary: Open feeding rewards the strongest colony, spreads disease and also attracts neighbouring apiaries.
5. Feed all colonies at the same time: Feeding a single hive can trigger robbing by the others.
6. Clean the feeders: Throw away fermented or mouldy syrup; wash and dry the feeder.
7. Do not leave an empty feeder in the hive for long: The bees may build irregular comb in the empty space.

Common mistakes

• Feeding syrup in the cold: Bees will not take or cannot process cold syrup; humidity and fermentation increase in the hive. Give fondant in cold weather.
• Trying to build autumn stores with thin syrup: The colony wears itself out evaporating the extra water and brood rearing goes on needlessly long.
• Overfeeding in spring: The brood cells fill with syrup and the queen runs out of laying space.
• A large feeder on a weak colony: A small colony cannot guard or process a large mass of syrup; feed it small amounts.