To feed the bees, is it better to give syrup or candy? The two are not interchangeable. Young beekeepers sometimes do not know what the difference is between the two and under what conditions syrup or candy is given. So to know all about this issue, read the following article.
Both are made with sugar. Syrup is a mixture of sugar and water and often contains a high proportion of sugar, around 50%. The candy is hard and contains even more sugar.
The syrup
Syrups found in commerce are generally at least 50% sugar. These syrups are to be used when the temperatures are still high (over 15 °).
The job of bees is to extract the sugar from the water. The colder it gets, the more substantial this work will be and will exhaust the bees.
The syrup is therefore to be used in summer to stimulate the queen or in case of food shortage. It is also used at the end of the summer, even at the beginning of the autumn to constitute the provisions of the bees for the winter.
Ideally, this reserve building work should be finished by September in order to avoid having the winter bees work on this task. Winter bees are needed in the spring to restart the colony and their good health is essential.
You can make your own syrup, but be careful with fermentation. You have to use it quickly.
Candy
- The easiest way is to place the candy above the frame cover either in a container or directly in the one kilogram bag with an opening made in the plastic to let the bees pass. In both cases, plan to properly insulate the roof above the candy to prevent heat loss.
- The other method is to crush the candy with a rolling pin in a layer of less than one centimeter and place it directly on the frames below the frame cover. Enter the candy between the frames with your fingers.
