Feeding Honey Bees

• Sugar Syrup (1:1 Ratio): Made with equal parts white table sugar and water (by weight or volume). It is used in spring or early summer to stimulate queen egg-laying and comb building.
• Heavy Sugar Syrup (2:1 Ratio): Made with two parts sugar to one part water. It is fed in the fall to help bees build up heavy winter honey stores quickly without forcing them to evaporate excess water.
• Fondant / Sugar Bricks / Sugar Cakes: Solid carbohydrate options used during cold winter months when liquid syrup can freeze or cause harmful moisture in the hive.
• Dry Granulated Sugar: Placed in an emergency on newspaper or an inner cover above the frames when a winter-clustered colony is starving.
• Natural Honey: Leftover or stored honey inside the hive is always the best and healthiest food for a colony. (Note: Never feed store-bought honey from unknown sources, as it can spread bee diseases).

2. Protein Sources (Brood Rearing & Development)

• Natural Pollen: Collected and stored by bees as “bee bread,” providing essential proteins, lipids, and vitamins.
• Pollen Substitutes & Supplements: Used in late winter or early spring during a pollen dearth (shortage). Popular commercial products and ingredients include:
  • Pollen Patties: Pre-made protein patties (such as Global Patties or Ultra Bee) placed directly over the brood frames.
  • Dry Powder Substitutes: Loose protein powders (such as Ultra Bee, MegaBee, or Bee-Pro) offered in outdoor protected feeding stations.
  • Ingredients in Homemade Substitutes: Soy flour, brewers/nutritional yeast, wheat flour, and skim milk powder.

3. Supplements and Water

• Water: Essential for cooling the hive and diluting thick honey; often supplied with a small amount of uniodinated/non-iodized salt and a floating device to prevent drowning. 

• Health Supplements: Additives like Honey-B-Healthy or HiveAlive (containing essential oils) are sometimes mixed into syrups to improve gut health, provide antimicrobial properties, and prevent rapid fermentation.