Making Sugar Water For Bees

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In this article, we look at making sugar water for bees. There are times when bees need a bit of help from us – an energy boost – or even when we have to pay them back for taking their honey.

There are times when you can feed bees dry sugar (read more about that here and here). 

1.When Do We Feed Dry Sugar To Bees?

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If we need to help boost the bees or help them increase their stores, we feed liquid sugar.

2. When Do We feed Bees Liquid Sugar?

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When we want our bees to grow and stimulate wax making, brood rearing, and population growth, we use a 1 to 1 sugar mix. This is 1 to 1 by volume. 

Making Sugar Water For Bees

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1.Sugar Mixture To Stimulate Growth and Hive Energy: 1 To 1 Mix

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Mixing Sugar Water For Encouraging Stores: 2 To 1 Mix

When we want to encourage the bees to store sugar in the hive, we use a 2 to 1 mix. 

2.

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How Long Does Sugar Water Last?

Sugar water is an excellent growth medium for certain yeast. Many of these sugar-loving yeasts are actually found in beehives, and bees are covered in them.

I used to put sugar outside in big cubit drums and place a grid that floated inside to stop the bees from drowning. We would find that the bees would drink and empty a tote like this in a day or so.

Sugar Feeders

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When To Stop Feeding Bees Sugar Water?

In spring, when the hives are sufficiently strong, you can stop. If there is a dearth of nectar, you can always feed again.

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ADVICE

I find the new types of white sugar (don’t use brown it will kill your bees) have special processes they use to make the sugar dissolve very fast. Ten to twenty years ago, dissolving sugar was a pain.

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