One of the reasons to keep bees is because you can harvest the honey that they create. After a honey harvest, it may be necessary to supply bees with an artificial honey replacement or with a source of artificial nectar, in order to prevent starvation. At other times when real nectar may be scarce or unavailable, artificial nectar can be used to encourage the drawing of comb or to aid in the rearing of brood. It should also be noted that honey contains materials that bees can not digest and sugar syrup makes for a better source of bee feed. This does not mean that it is appropriate to take all of the bees’ honey. After all, the bees did work rather hard for it. Bees should always have excess honey in storage. When using sugar, only use white cane sugar. Don’t used raw sugar, brown sugar or molasses as they contain impurities that may harm the bees or may be difficult for the bees to digest. If using powdered sugar instead of standard crystallized cane sugar, be sure to check the ingredients list as some powdered sugar contains anti-caking agents that might be harmful to bees. Although the following recipes call for ingredients by weight, volume is a close enough approximation as the bees don’t particularly care about the specifics of sugar concentration.
1:1 Syrup
1:1, or One-to-One syrup can be used for supplemental spring feeding and encourage the drawing of comb.
1 part (by weight) sugar
1 part (by weight) water
Simply stir sugar into room temperature water until all the sugar has dissolved to produce the desired quantity. The dissolving process will be sped up with hotter water, just be sure not to boil the sugar solution. One volume of water plus one volume of sugar when prepared equals roughly 1.5 volumes of syrup. Weight of water = 8.34 lbs(#) per gallon 1/2 gal = 4.14# 1qt = 2.09# 1pt = 1.04# & 1 cup = .52# of water.
One 2-liter bottle of water plus one cup of water plus 5 pounds of sugar yields just under two 2-liter bottles of “close enough” 1:1 Syrup
2:1 Syrup
2:1, or Two-to-One syrup can be used for fall feeding after the last honey harvest, or if the bees do not have a sufficiently large store of honey.
2 parts (by weight) sugar
1 part (by weight) water
The two parts sugar will not dissolve in room temperature water. Because of this mixing difficulty it is advisable to mix the sugar into near-boiling water. Do not allow the sugar mixture to boil, as this will give the chance for some of the sugars to caramelize, creating a partially indigestible and possibly even toxic solution as far as the bees are concerned. Be sure to let the solution thoroughly cool before feeding it to the bees. It was once common practice to add cream of tartar (tartaric acid) to 2:1 syrup to prevent re-crystallization of the sugars, however this is not recommended, as it is believed to shorten the life spans of the bees that consume it.
For those without a scale, an easy recipe is 5 parts granulated sugar and 2 parts water by VOLUME. Sugar is somewhere between 170 and 200 grams/cup (depends on the reference)[1], [2], [3] and water is 240 grams/cup[4], [5]. So, for example, 5 cups of granulated sugar is 850-1000 grams, and 2 cups of water is 480 grams, which is close to 2:1. Picking 2:1 is a totally arbitrary ratio and is only a convenient, simple ratio for the bee keeper to think about for feeding bees late in the season.
1:2 Syrup
1:2, or One-to-Two syrup can be used to stimulate brood rearing by simulating a nectar flow.
1 part (by weight) sugar
2 parts (by weight) water
Simply mix the sugar with room temperature water and feed the bees.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
It is not uncommon for a beekeeper with many hives and little time to use high fructose corn syrup in place of 2:1 syrup, however this method is not cost effective or practical for small-scale beekeepers. When purchasing high fructose corn syrup not specifically packaged as bee feed, be sure to check the list of ingredients. Many suppliers often add extra ingredients that may not be desired when feeding bees.
A few websites referring to the danger of feeding honeybees high fructose corn syrup, since overheating it during manufacture turns some of it into a compound toxic to honeybees:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826110118.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/027286_HFCS_food_honey.html
http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/08/20/the-bee-problem-is-hfcs-to-blame/
Does this mean that high fructose should be sold only if it is already labelled with how much of that compound it contains?
Bee Candy
Occasionally it is not advised to feed bees syrup. Sometimes when emergency feeding it is best to use a dry or semi-moist food, other times bee candy is used as it is less messy than feeding syrup. Even though bee candy may be convenient to use as feed, it is not recommended as a complete substitution to syrup.
Un-prepared Sugar
The simplest bee candy is crystallized cane sugar. Pure sugar, while easy to handle, is generally only fed during dire emergencies, and bees sometimes will carry it out of the hive rather than consume it.
Fondant Bee Candy
Fondant bee candy can be fed directly to the bees once cooled. It is also common to use this recipe in small quantities to plug the hole on a Queen Cage.
4 parts (by volume) white sugar
4 parts (by volume) 2:1 Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup
3 parts (by volume) water
Boil water and slowly add the syrup and sugar until dissolved. Continue heating until the mixture reaches 238°F (114°C). Allow the solution to cool (without mixing)until it is slightly warm to the touch, and begin to mix and aerate the solution, the color should lighten. Pour into shallow dishes or mold and save for later use.
Quick Candy
In a pinch quick candy can be used in place of Fondant Bee Candy, it is easier to prepare, but may not be as easily workable.
1 part (by volume) confectioner’s sugar
1 part (by volume) 1:2 Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup or Clean Honey
Simply knead the two ingredients together like bread dough until completely integrated.
NOTE* Confectioner’s sugar may contain corn starch – use a blender to make powdered sugar from granulated crystals for use in the bee hive.
Pollen Substitute
Occasionally there is a shortage of pollen, or perhaps you simply desire to promote the raising of brood. Pollen substitutes can be used in such situations; however, despite its name, pollen substitutes are no real substitute for genuine fresh pollen.
[edit]Dry Pollen Substitute
Dry pollen substitute can be placed directly into the hive or used in bird feeders to attract local bees.
3 parts (by weight) Soy Flour (expeller-processed soybean flour)
1 part (by weight) Brewers Yeast
1 part (by weight) Nonfat Dry Milk (Not instant milk)
Simply integrate the powders together and use. Occasionally bees may refuse to eat pollen substitute, most often when fresh pollen is available. It is, however, possible to trick bees to take the substitute when necessary by integrating a small amount of Vitamin C into the mixture. Often 1 teaspoon per 5 cups can be added. If a powered form is not available, it is possible to crush a Vitamin C tablet for integration.
Pollen Patty
To make a pollen patty, bind the Dry Pollen Substitute with enough 2:1 Syrup to make a putty or dough like consistency.
Grease Patties
Grease Patties containing both wintergreen oil or tea tree oil and mineral salt appear to have an effect on varroa mites and tracheal mites. These effects can be seen when brood is present, and has a devastating effect on mites when brood is not present. However, grease patties with essential oils should not be used during time of honey collection for human consumption. During this time, grease patties without essential oils can be used to a lesser effect. For any noticeable effect, a grease patty of some form should be used at all times. Replace any consumed patties.
Simple Grease Patty
1 part (by volume) solid vegetable shorting (such as Crisco)
2 parts (by volume) white sugar
Mix sugar and shortening until well combined. Split into approximately quarter cup (~6 centiliters) portions and store excess in the freezer sandwiched between sheets of wax paper.
[edit]Grease Patty With Mineral Salt
2 lbs solid vegetable shorting (such as Crisco)
3 lbs whites sugar
1 lb 1:2 Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup or Clean Honey
1/3 cup pulverized mineral salt (~1/5lb Depending on mineral content)
Prepare the same as you would a simple grease patty recipe.
[edit]Grease Patty With Mineral Salt and Essential Oils
2 lbs solid vegetable shorting (such as Crisco)
3 lbs whites sugar
1 lb 1:2 Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup or Clean Honey
1/3 cup pulverized mineral salt (~1/5lb Depending on mineral content)
3 table spoons wintergreen oil
Prepare the same as you would a simple grease patty recipe.
