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How to Feed Brewer's Yeast to Honey Bees

When pollen becomes scarce in the winter and early spring, beekeepers feed brewer's yeast to their honeybee colonies to help them survive the lean times. Though honeybees can survive solely on the honey stored in the hive, the proteins in yeast and other supplements help colonies grow when they might otherwise stall or even collapse. The yeast supplement also increases the hive's honey output, by giving the bees something other than their own honey to eat.

Things You'll Need

Brewer's Yeast
Sugar
Mixing bowl
Dish

Instructions

- 1
  Weigh out 9 ounces of brewer's yeast, 9 ounces of sugar and 7.5 ounces of water. Dump them in a mixing bowl.
- 2
  Stir the ingredients together until you have mixture with the consistency of peanut butter.
- 3
  Put the brewer's yeast mixture into a dish that can fit in the hive close to the combs that hold the hive's unsealed brood. These are the honeycombs that are open, as opposed to covered.
- 4
  Place the dish in the hive as near as possible to the unsealed brood. It will last for 10 to 14 days before you need to replace it.

Nature