When I first started hold back bees , the instruction to affix your colony with a homemade simoleons syrup seemed standard praxis . Despite my initial response that it simply was n’t natural ( and I wanted to be as “ born ” as potential ) , there are many good reasons to feed your bees , not the least of which was this : You put your bees in a box seat , you keep them there , you tend to them in that box , and you harvest their honey — they are your responsibility .
A Case For Supplemental Feeding
The rude beekeeper in me get quiet … immediate . While I want to think that my honeybees could scrounge for all the nectar they would ever need ( still supplying my family with a dearest surplus , of course),andbe sound , fight blighter and disease , and thrive year after year , the truth of the topic is that we are tending to a domesticated metal money . These are not feral bees — Apis meliferais not even native to North America . Not only do we incline to them in artificial conditions , we ask them to live in a non - native land!Especiallyif we manipulate that hive with a honey extraction , it ’s absolutely our responsibility to offer it a leg up when they take it . And sometimes , that looks like supplemental feeding .
Syrup In Spring & Fall
Good apiculturist wo n’t feast willy nilly . If you do , you squander a pile of time and resources at best . At worst , you could accidentally spark a robbing hysteria that puts your hives at risk .
Many beekeepers feed their hive because the colony ’s storehouse are low . For this reason , feast often fall out in the fall and in the spring . decline feedings are for nettle rash that are a bit luminance on stores going into wintertime and need a branch up . Spring feeding are for hives who have mostly survive the winter , but are falling shortsighted before the spring flowers have start to acquire ambrosia . Spring feedings also get thequeenlaying again ; the feeding of syrup feign a flow , and she can rather quickly increase the numbers in the dependency , preparing for a fire - off when the love menstruum is in full event . It ’s important to keep this in judgement when you start fertilise , and not bung too quick if winter in your region is n’t truly over .
Because seasonal alimentation serve well different purposes , the ratio of simoleons to pee in the syrup will differ slightly , too . In dip feedings , you ’re helping the bees convert sirup to stored nutrition , so it may contain less water for easier storage Most beekeepers use a two component gelt to one part water proportion for declension feedings . For stimulating growth and for the lighter spring feedings , it ’s common to mix one part sugar to two parts weewee . However , neither suggestion is by any mean value a strong and fast rule , and Apis mellifera have a serious sweet tooth — they will happily bolt upanysugar syrup mixture you pop the question them . When it doubt , concoct 1:1 ratio and you ’ll be just fine .
How To Feed Your Bees
Now we get to the fun part — and the bees would agree ! There are many types of bee feeders useable commercially , and which is the good is simply a matter of what works better for you . Here are a few tried - and - true pet :
Hive Top Feeder
This feeder is available in the monetary standard eight- or 10 - frame size to fit aLangstroth hive . It has two long and narrow-minded compartments that launch the duration of the feeder , with plastic float in each side for the bee to snap up onto while they slurp up the syrup . The center is opened for the bees to number and go from within the hive . The benefit of this feeder is that it is control in the hive , which reduces robbing from outsiders . It holds a fair bit of sirup , too . The drawback is that you have to open up the hive each time you need to mark the syrup levels or refill .
Division Board Feeder
This setup is the same size and dimension as a Langstroth frame and jibe within the body of the beehive . It ’s undefendable at the top to permit easy entree to the syrup . The professional and cons to this feeder are the same as the hive top with a few additions ; with the section board , you lose a space of frame , and you operate the risk of a especially wax - happy beehive building burr combing all over it . It is , however , a alimentation setup that is posit closer to the broodnest , which is easy access in cold conditions . It also provides food nigher to where the bees will ultimately salt away it .
Entrance Feeder (aka Boardman)
This confluent holds syrup in an inverted James Mason jounce or plastic container , which sits rest on a wooden political program that slew into the entrance of the hive , where it allows admission to the syrup . The drawbacks to this feeding system are that it allows — and even encourages — robbing , leading to sparring betweenguard beesand robbers , and a potential for red of life of many bees , not to mention focus to the beehive . While it ’s easy to see when stores get low and easy to replace without enter the hive , I prefer to use these feeders as a agile manner to pop the question a colony some reinvigorated water .
Plastic Baggie Method
You ’re not likely to see this whoremonger in beekeeping books , so brace yourself for this craft secret . My local beekeeping chapter taught me this awful proficiency : fill a slide fastener - top bag three - quarters full with sirup , lay on the top - most superintendent of frames , and with a box seat cutter , cut two to three slits across the flat base . The syrup defend the tension so it does n’t spill everywhere , and the bee easily hop up to slurp up the sirup . Unlike the other method acting , there is much zero loss of spirit from drowning with the baggie method acting . The only drawback that touch on me is that it ’s quite wasteful for a non - renewable imagination , such as one - time - use plastic .
What To Feed Your Bees
Organic , clean mesa sugar is an excellent germ of carbohydrates and immediate fuel for your bee , especially if it means the difference between life and end for a colony . It ’s an invaluable resource and asset that we are favourable to source easily , but truly natural beekeepers recognize that sugar syrup is at last devoid of the nutrients that honeybees need to be truly healthy . The only really sustainable source of food for honeybees arrive from the beloved they make from rude flora ambrosia , which each have their own nutritionary make up . Because we know this , apiculturist are advance to save a portion of their harvested honey to feedbackto the bees should the motive arise ; you may tender it to them in one of the methods above , or simply save several capped frames of love in your abstruse freezer for a “ just in case ” scenario . Your honeybee will be stronger and healthier for it .
