Partially fill a plastic freezer bag with sugar syrup until it's approximately half full. The risers provide a bee space between the top bars and the holes in the container lid. Place an empty super on the hive to enclose the feeder and replace the hive lid. Container feeder with sealable lidįill a clean container (such as a jar or a tin with a push-down lid) with sugar syrup. Drill or punch the lid with 6 to 8 very small holes. It is a good idea to remove the cardboard insert commonly found in jar lids.Ĭut two 12mm high risers from a piece of wood and place them across the top bars of the frames that are in the top box of the hive. Invert the filled container and place it on the risers. The cooled syrup can be placed in the hives using one of 4 methods. The syrup must be cooled to room temperature before it is fed to the bees. The sugar can caramelise, becoming partially indigestible and toxic to the bees. Never boil the mixture after the sugar is added. Pour in the sugar and stir until the sugar crystals are dissolved. As soon as the water gently boils, remove the container from the heat source. Heat the water in a container large enough to hold the water and sugar. You can measure the sugar and water by either weight or volume as there is no need to be 100% exact about the sugar concentration. Other beekeepers prefer a dense syrup of 2 parts of sugar to 1 part of water (known as 2:1). The stronger syrup is used for food when honey stores in the hive are low. encourage drawing of comb foundation, particularly in spring.Some beekeepers prefer a ratio of 1 part of sugar to 1 part of water - measured by weight (known as 1:1). The 1:1 syrup is generally used to: There are differing views about the correct amount of sugar to use in syrup. A small amount of dry sugar may be converted to liquid and stored in the cells. The sugar will remain in the hive or be deposited by the bees outside the hive entrance. This will give the bees immediate food without the need to liquefy crystals.īees will generally not use dry sugar when they are able to collect sufficient nectar for the colony's needs. Hot, dry summers make it hard for bees to dissolve sugar crystals into liquid.Ī colony at starvation level should be fed sugar syrup first before dry sugar is given. Regardless of colony size, feeding dry sugar works best during autumn and spring when humidity is relatively high. This creates a partial syrup.ĭon't feed dry sugar to weak colonies as they may be incapable of gathering sufficient water.
Some beekeepers prefer to wet the sugar with water to prevent it from solidifying. They will source water from outside the hive or use condensation from inside the hive. Medium to strong bee colonies can be fed dry white table sugar placed on hive mats or in-trays under the hive lid.īees need water to liquefy the sugar crystals. Place sugar syrup or dry sugar inside the hives towards evening - as this minimises the risk of bees robbing hives that have been fed. Feeding in the open can also cause robber bee activity in the apiary as well as the spread of bee diseases. You will end up feeding bees from nearby managed and feral colonies as well as your own. How and when to feed beesĭon't leave sugar syrup or dry sugar out in the open. Never place honey in the open outside the hive - this is illegal under the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994. If you feed suitable honey to your bees, place it inside the hive. Honey as feed for beesĭo not feed bees honey unless it is from your own disease-free hives. Spores of American foulbrood disease can be present in honey.įeeding honey from an unknown source, such as a supermarket or even another beekeeper, can cause infection in your hives. feeding them syrup made with white sugar.īee colonies can be kept alive for long periods by feeding white sugar.moving bees to an area where plants are yielding nectar.You need to frequently monitor the amount of stored honey during these times because when it has all gone the colony will starve. When nectar is in short supply or unavailable, bees draw on the honey stores in their hive. when nectar-secreting flowers are scarce.Honey bees store honey in the hive for food:
0 kommentar(er)
