Feeding your bees

There are many options for feeding your honeybees the most common of which is a syrup made by mixing granulated sugar or high fructose corn syrup with water.

Making syrup

There is sometimes discussion as to whether the sugar to water ratios are by volume or weight.     I find that it does not matter.     For 2:1 syrup I mix 3 gallons of water to 50 lbs. of sugar and that yields about 6.5 gallons of syrup, so the two are pretty much the same     The below tables reflect the sugar to water ratio that I use which are based roughly on weight.     I typically use a 1:1 ratio when I want to stimulate brood rearing and a 2:1 when I am feeding for survival.    It appears that the table below is slightly more than 2:1 because I dissolve 50 lbs. of sugar in 3 gallons of water and that yields 6.5 gallons of syrup.     The "0.5" extra gallon tells me that the mix is just slightly above 2:1.

In very cold weather I have to increase the water in the 2:1 ratio shown below by roughly 17% (In my case where I use 3 gallons of water to 50 lbs. of sugar, I increase the water by 1/2 gallon (ie.. 3 1/2 gallons to 50 lbs. of sugar).      The below tables do not include the extra 17%.

The below tables are based on a publication in the Madison County Beekeepers Association's bimonthly newsletter "The BuzWord" by Mr. Harold V. Green, President of the Madison County Beekeepers Association from 2008/9 thru 2009/10 and is as follows:    

"You can use Fructose 55, which is very convenient, and consists of 77% dissolved solids and 23% water, by weight.   The solids are Fructose 55%, Dextrose 40% and other sugars 5%.     That means it has a combined sugar/water ratio of over 3 to 1.   If you want to use this in a 1 to 1 ratio to stimulate brood rearing, you need to add four parts water to five parts Fructose 55 by volume.  In other words, for every 5 gallons of Fructose55 you use, mix 4 gallons of water to achieve a sugar/water ratio of 1 to 1."    

The following tables are an extrapolation and expansion of Harold's  information.

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Feeding methods

I prefer to feed my bees though a hole in the inner cover.  I use either 5 lb. glass honey jars or 1 gallon glass jugs both with a standard "G" lid (A "G" lid is 70mm in diameter therefore I use a 71mm circular hole saw mounted on a drill press or hand drill).  The 5 lb jars are available from any good beekeeping supply house but the one gallon jugs (used for pickles or vinegar years ago) are a little difficult to find.  I punch about 30 "frame nail size" holes in a standard "G" lid, and place it on the glass jug and invert it in the hole in the inner cover.  If the weather is warm I use 3 or 4 brick standing in their ends to form piers and place the outer cover over that for 5 lb. jars.   Otherwise I use an empty deep super plus a 2 inch shim for the 1 gallon jugs.     The shims that I use were originally used to apply Miteaway II pads.     Punched lids are available from Dadant No. M00887 for about 60¢.    A Boardman feeder are normally shipped with one of these lids. Available also are rigid plastic feeder buckets that work great (maybe better and they are much easier to store when not in use) in place of 1 gallon glass jugs. The feeder container must be rigid to prevent it collapsing and dumping syrup in the hive.

Hive top feeder
Sometimes referred to as a "Miller Feeder" are OK as long as they are built so that they do not leak.

Baggie feeder
Are a very good feeding option for warm weather.  I find they work best if the plastic bag is placed inside a 2 lb. coffee can then the baggie fled to the top of the can.  Then remove the baggie, place it on an excluder, cut the slits and place it on the hive.   The coffee can greatly facilitates filling from a 5 gallon jug on the tailgate of your truck. 

Division Board feeder
To use a division board feeder, remove one frame and insert the feeder where the frame was.  I prefer not to use them because it is difficult to refill them.    To determine if they need refilling requires that you break the hive down to some degree.    That is a problem in cold weather.    Some bees are likely to be found drowned inside the feeder.    There is a "V" shaped screen wire product and a variety of "cap and ladders" on the market that fits inside or on top of the division board feeder designed to reduce the number of drowned bees to some extent.   

Boardman feeder
Slip inside the entrance opening of the brood chamber. A quart jar with a perforated "G" lid (like the one I use for Inner Cover feeding) is inverted over the Boardman Feeder. The feeder is hollow so that the bees can crawl out, under the perforated "G" lid and suck out the feed. That works OK in warm weather but not at all in cold weather because the bees can not break the cluster and come out of the hive and get the syrup. The syrup being outside the hive can encourage robbing and can attract ants.

New File 5/4/14 brf last updated 12/17/2022 brf