Not only will a steady supply of sugar water affect the honey supply, but the bees may start to store it along with their honey, making the honey unsuitable to consume. To check your hive’s store of honey, gently tilt the beehive forward. If it feels very light, there’s no honey inside. In addition to supplying food for hungry bees, you may also choose to offer sugar water to help establish a new hive of bees or if you need to rear a new queen for one of your hives.
When you feed the bees, you’ll turn the jar upside-down and the bees will drink the sugar water through the holes. If the holes are small enough, a vacuum will form in the jar, which will prevent the sugar water from dripping out. Use a 2 qt (2 l) jar for smaller batches, such as feeding the bees during the spring. However, if you’ll be feeding the bees during the late fall or winter, opt for a container that will hold about 5 qt (5 l).
For instance, if you’re planning to make the sugar water in a large stockpot, you may need about 5 US gal (19 l) of water. You’d then add 5 US tbsp (74 mL) of chlorine bleach to the water. It’s very important to make sure you kill any bacteria that could be living on the surface of the pot and the container that you’ll use. Bees are very susceptible to illness, so if you introduce bacteria into the hive, you could kill them.
To feed bees in the early spring or when you’re queen-rearing, give them about 2 quarts (2 liters) of a 1:1 concentration of sugar and water, so start with about 1 quart (1 liter) of water. Replace the mixture every few days until natural nectar is available. If you’re feeding the bees in the late fall or winter, prepare a 2:1 mixture of sugar to water, and feed the bees 5-10 quarts (5-10 liters) each week. For example, to make a 6 quart (6 l) mixture, start with about 2 quarts (2 liters) of water.
If you’re making 2 quarts (2 liters) of a 1:1 mixture and you started with 1 qt (1 l) of water, add 2 lb (1. 6 kg) of sugar, or about 8 cups. If you’re making 6 qt (6 l) of a 2:1 mixture, you would add about 8 lb (3. 6 kg) of sugar, or about 16 cups. White cane sugar is inexpensive and dissolves well, making it ideal for feeding bees. Organic and raw sugar can both be used, but they’re more expensive and may be a little harder for the bees to digest. [6] X Research source
Larger batches of syrup may need longer to cool. The outside of the pot should be comfortable to handle before you pour it. If you’re using a commercial bee feeder, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for filling it.
You can also purchase feeding frames that will hold your feeder for you.
Buy organic plants or grow your own to avoid nursery plants treated with insecticide.
Plants like lavender, oregano, and thyme can help bees fight off mites which may spread diseases to the colony. Talk to a local bee expert or botanist, or do a search online to find bee-attracting plants that are native to your area. If you live in North America, the UK, Switzerland, France, Singapore, Kenya, Australia, or New Zealand, you can visit the Xerces Society’s website for a list of pollinator-friendly plants by going to http://xerces. org/pollinator-conservation/plant-lists/.
If you only choose plants that flower in early spring, for instance, you’ll have hungry bees in the late summer when the early blooms are starting to fade.
For instance, you might plant sections of similar blooms in about 3 ft × 3 ft (0. 91 m × 0. 91 m) clumps.
These native plants will not only support your beehives, but they’ll likely draw in wild bees from your area, so you’ll be helping a variety of different bee species to thrive.
