Proper nutrition is fundamental to colony health. Well-fed bees live longer, resist disease better, and produce more honey. Here's everything you need to know about feeding your bees.
What Bees Need
Carbohydrates (Nectar/Honey)
Sugar provides energy for:
- Flight (major energy consumer)
- Temperature regulation
- Wax production
- General metabolism
Protein (Pollen)
Pollen provides:
- Amino acids for body building
- Nutrition for brood rearing
- Development of hypopharyngeal glands (for feeding larvae)
- Fat body development (crucial for winter survival)
Other Nutrients
- Fats/lipids: Energy, cell membranes
- Vitamins: Various metabolic functions
- Minerals: Found in nectar and pollen
- Water: Essential for metabolism and cooling
When to Feed
Feed Sugar Syrup When:
- New packages or nucs need to build comb
- Honey stores are low
- Nectar dearth exists
- Preparing for winter (if light on stores)
- Stimulating spring buildup
Feed Pollen Substitute When:
- Natural pollen unavailable (late winter/early spring)
- Building up for pollination contracts
- Colony recovering from stress
- Encouraging brood rearing before flow
🍯 Don't Rob Their Honey
The best food for bees is their own honey. Never take honey unless the colony has surplus. A colony needs 60-90 lbs of honey to survive winter in most climates.
Sugar Syrup Recipes
🌷 Spring/Summer Syrup (1:1)
Mimics nectar, stimulates foraging and comb building:
- 1 part sugar : 1 part water (by weight or volume)
- Example: 5 lbs sugar + 5 lbs (about 2.5 quarts) water
🍂 Fall/Winter Syrup (2:1)
Thicker for storage, requires less evaporation:
- 2 parts sugar : 1 part water (by weight)
- Example: 10 lbs sugar + 5 lbs water
- Heat water, add sugar, stir until dissolved
Important Notes
- Use only white granulated sugar (no brown, raw, or powdered)
- Don't boil—creates HMF (harmful to bees)
- Stop feeding when honey supers are on (or syrup ends up as "honey")
Feeding Methods
Entrance Feeders (Boardman)
- Easy to monitor
- Can trigger robbing
- Syrup may cool in cold weather
Top Feeders (Hive-Top)
- Hold large volumes
- Less robbing risk
- Require opening hive to refill
Frame Feeders
- Inside hive, natural access
- Can drown bees (add floats)
- Takes space of one frame
Pollen Substitutes
When natural pollen is unavailable:
- Commercial patties: Convenient, pre-made
- DIY patties: Soy flour, brewer's yeast, sugar
- Real pollen: Best option, but expensive and disease risk
Placement
Place protein patties directly on top bars above the brood nest. Replace when consumed. Remove in warm weather (can mold or attract hive beetles).
Common Feeding Mistakes
- Feeding during honey supers on
- Using brown sugar or honey substitutes
- Open feeding (causes robbing, spreads disease)
- Feeding too late for winter storage
- Not providing water source nearby
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