Making Sure Your Hives Access Enough Food During the Late Summer
Bees rely on a diversity of sources for food. To make sure colonies are prepared for the summer months when there isn’t nectar available, it’s important to inspect regularly and ensure that you’re not running low on stores while also feeding sugar syrup in late summer as they need carbohydrates to power their metabolism during warmer times.
Eating is an essential task within a bee’s life cycle: they need it to produce wax cells for raising brood; nurse younger bees with pollen-based foods; and eat nectar from flower buds before converting them into honey stores. In order to meet this demand, feeding bees sugar syrup is a great way for beekeepers to make sure that colonies have enough food available during the late summer.
What if your honeybees are getting robbed? If there isn’t enough food through natural forage, robbing may occur where stronger bees take nectar from weaker colonies. To prevent this, make feeding a routine task in your bee management plan to keep them strong and consider installing screens that will protect the hive against robbers!
A feeding solution of one part sugar syrup to one part water provides “nectar” for the bees. The mixture should be mixed and stored in a clean container with an airtight lid so it doesn’t spoil or attract pests that can harm honey bee colonies. Make sure to only use pure cane sugar, as other sugars and alternatives can be toxic to bees.
We recommend using internal feeders, such as the frame or top feeder over entrance ones to prevent robbing from being induced at the feeder.
Tips for feeding the bees:
– Inspect your honey bee colonies to make sure they have enough food stores.
– Feed sugar syrup in a feeding solution of one part sugar syrup to one part water, starting with a quart per week is recommended.
– Remember to use caution when feeding, as spilled syrup can set off a robbing frenzy where strong colonies steal resources from weaker colonies.
– Install robbing screens helps to protect your hives from being robbed.
Conclusion:
If you want a thriving summer honey bee colony, feeding is an important task that will help them survive the heat, and keep their hive strong going into the winter months. Tasks like inspecting bees regularly, feeding sugar syrup in late summer when they need it, and installing robbing screens are all part of good management practices to keep your bees healthy and thriving throughout late summer.