As beekeepers, there come times when we need to feed our bees or offer them up reserves to help them get through dearths and winter. New colonies should be fed so that they can quickly build out new comb for the queen to lay and for them to store their foraged pollen and nectar. Existing colonies also require feeding, especially a back up method to help ensure their winter survival. Today I thought that I would place these all recipes in one place for you to easily find them.
Warm temperatures (Spring and Summer)
Sugar Syrup 1:1
5 pints of water (10 cups)
5 pounds of sugar
Honey B Healthy (optional-directions per label)
In a large pot, bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add the sugar and stir continually until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the Honey B Health. Allow to cool. Transfer to feeders and place on the hives.
Cold Temperatures (Fall and Winter)
Sugar Syrup 2:1 ( use up until 4 weeks prior to the first frost)
5 pints of water (10 cups)
10 pounds of sugar
Honey B Healthy (optional-directions per label)
Fondant –makes nine 5” x 6” pieces
(from the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association)
-Mix 5 pounds of granulated sugar, 1 pint corn syrup, 1 & 1/3 cups of water in a large pot.
-Heat over medium heat to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Stir only occasionally, it takes a while.Important: Hold the temperature at 240 degrees.
-At 240 degrees F , place the pot in a sink of cold water.
-Change the water a few times.
-Beat with a mixer, cooling the mixture to 190
-Pour onto greased (Pam) cookie sheets to ¼ inch thick
-Cool and slice into patties.
7 thoughts on “Seasonal Recipes for Feeding Honeybees”
Is here way to copy the recipe without having to write it out by hand? When I try to highlight I sent the message protected content.
I can email it to you! Check your inbox.
PLEASE EMAIL RECEIPES FOR FONDANT AND SUGAR SYRUP. THE BEES DID NOTEAT MUCH OF THE SUGAR ON THE NEWSPAPER . THANKS.
It is a bit early for using the Mountain Camp method. Too late to use the sugar syrup, so I would make a candy board or fondant. I don’t make my own fondant, but prefer to purchase it. Just easier for me. Check out my candy board post that you can try by searching for it in the search bar at the top of the website.
Please email the syrup recipes and fondant and the candy board recipe.
Thank you
Starla
In your description of how to make 2:1 sugar syrup you say to bring the water to a boil then add sugar, remove from heat etc. This is a mistake. The sugar will re-crystalize as it cools and form a cake at the bottom of the pot and form a crust at the top of the water. The correct way is to start with cold water, add the sugar, and then slowly bring up the heat while stirring until it all dissolves. Then immediately remove from heat without boiling. The sugar will not re-crystalize and will stay in solution. Add Honey-B-Healthy following the jar instructions, etc.
I have never had any issues following the recipe above for the past 10 plus years. The sugar has always stayed in liquid form without crystalizing even later in the beekeeping season. I always make extra as sometimes the bees are very hungry in the spring.