Feeding Bees

When to feed

New packages and nucs always need feeding until they've drawn out enough comb. Established colonies need feeding when natural forage is scarce — usually late summer dearth and early spring before bloom.

What to feed

• 1:1 sugar syrup in spring (encourages drawing comb and brood rearing)
• 2:1 sugar syrup in fall (closer to honey concentration, easier to store)
• Fondant or sugar bricks in winter (no liquids when it's freezing)
• Never feed honey from another apiary — disease risk.