How to Feed Honeybees

Syrup

• 1

  Mix a ratio of one part sugar to one part water; two parts sugar is recommended in winter.

• 2

  Heat on low heat until all sugar dissolves. Stir often.

• 3

  Allow syrup to cool.

• 4

  Pour syrup into a purchased or home-made bee feeder and install on hive.

• 5

  Pour syrup into gallon zipper storage bags if you do not have a feeder. Allow up to one-half gallon of syrup per bag. Seal the bag shut. The bag should lie fairly flat.

• 6

  Place the bag inside the hive lid, across the top of the combs. Cut a slit in the top side of the bag carefully with a knife. The bees should line up along the slit to feed without danger of falling in and drowning. Cover the hive. Check the lid. If there is not enough room to place the cover in its normal position, place dowels in the lid to elevate it slightly.

Candy

• 7

  Mix sugar and corn syrup in a three-parts sugar to one-part corn syrup ratio.

• 8

  Heat the syrup mixture until it reaches 250 degrees F. Do not allow it to brown.

• 9

  Pour into a cardboard or paper form and allow to set.

• 10

  Remove hardened candy from the form and place it between sticky combs inside the hive.

Plants

• 11

  Plant clover for winter ground cover. On warm days bees can feed on the blooming plants.

• 12

  Plant bee friendly flowers in spring for summer pollen and nectar availability. These include bee balm, butterfly bush, lavender and many others.

• 13

  Water your bee-friendly plants through the summer. Dead-head them often to keep them blooming as long as possible.

• 14

  Keep a shallow pan or sculptural item in the garden with gravel in it. Fill with water to a level below the top of the gravel. This allows bees as well as butterflies to find much needed water during dry seasons.