During the spring, a beekeeper’s thoughts turn to thinking of an immensely successful upcoming year. As eternal optimists, beekeepers expect a great season with plenty of sweet victories to be had.
But yet, as in much of life, the start of a new venture is the hardest. The same goes for honey bees starting their new home. Whether in a tree or in a beekeeper’s box, they have to build a lot of honeycombs from scratch. The energy to build the comb comes from flowers. When bee colonies can no longer find sufficient amounts of nectar due to natural or artificial factors, a nectar dearth or honey dearth occurs.
When there are no flowers in bloom, bees, who have keepers, are usually given sugar syrup. It’s not ideal, but it is often a necessary evil. The beekeeper is the bee’s best help when it is time to provide extra food for the bees when they can’t collect it themselves.
During the spring, a beekeeper’s thoughts turn to thinking of an immensely successful upcoming year. As eternal optimists, beekeepers expect a great season with plenty of sweet victories to be had.
But yet, as in much of life, the start of a new venture is the hardest. The same goes for honey bees starting their new home. Whether in a tree or in a beekeeper’s box, they have to build a lot of honeycombs from scratch. The energy to build the comb comes from flowers. When bee colonies can no longer find sufficient amounts of nectar due to natural or artificial factors, a nectar dearth or honey dearth occurs.
When there are no flowers in bloom, bees, who have keepers, are usually given sugar syrup. It’s not ideal, but it is often a necessary evil. The beekeeper is the bee’s best help when it is time to provide extra food for the bees when they can’t collect it themselves.
What Happens If I Feed My Thin Syrup In The Fall Or Winter?
What Happens If I Feed My Thin Syrup In The Fall Or Winter?
When feeding syrup during the fall or winter, the goal is for the bees to store the syrup quickly so it can be stored before winter comes. This syrup is for the bees to eat during the winter, not for them to build comb or to raise bees.
So because the goal is for the colony to store the syrup and not to use it, you will want to give them thick syrup. The thick syrup is more easily processed by the bees before they store it. At a time when you want the bees to process it quickly, you don’t want them working too hard. And if you give them the thin syrup, they will have to work harder to process it.
When feeding syrup during the fall or winter, the goal is for the bees to store the syrup quickly so it can be stored before winter comes. This syrup is for the bees to eat during the winter, not for them to build comb or to raise bees.
So because the goal is for the colony to store the syrup and not to use it, you will want to give them thick syrup. The thick syrup is more easily processed by the bees before they store it. At a time when you want the bees to process it quickly, you don’t want them working too hard. And if you give them the thin syrup, they will have to work harder to process it.
What Happens If I Feed My Bees Thick Syrup Or 2:1 In The Spring
What Happens If I Feed My Bees Thick Syrup Or 2:1 In The Spring
If you end up feeding thick sugar water to your bees during the spring or the summer, they will process it quickly and place it in their hive just as they would the 1:1 or thin syrup. So if you feed thick on accident, it’s ok. Bees are going to store it quickly in their nest and could possibly backfill their nest with the syrup quickly.
When feeding bees thin syrup, they are supposed to feel like spring is in the air, and it will encourage them to build comb and raise bees. They will still do this with thick syrup, but possibly not as quickly. The bottom line is that it isn’t a quick and straight answer, but at the very least, the bees will take it just fine. There are enough bees and warm weather in the spring that the bees will process the thick syrup quickly.
The same is not true of feeding bees thin syrup during the fall or winter, though.
If you end up feeding thick sugar water to your bees during the spring or the summer, they will process it quickly and place it in their hive just as they would the 1:1 or thin syrup. So if you feed thick on accident, it’s ok. Bees are going to store it quickly in their nest and could possibly backfill their nest with the syrup quickly.
When feeding bees thin syrup, they are supposed to feel like spring is in the air, and it will encourage them to build comb and raise bees. They will still do this with thick syrup, but possibly not as quickly. The bottom line is that it isn’t a quick and straight answer, but at the very least, the bees will take it just fine. There are enough bees and warm weather in the spring that the bees will process the thick syrup quickly.
The same is not true of feeding bees thin syrup during the fall or winter, though.