Autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup

Feeding bees in the fall with sugar syrup is carried out in case of poor honey production, a large volume of pumping, if the bees did not have time to prepare a sufficient amount of product for wintering or poor quality honey. Top dressing in the fall is given at a certain time, observing the cooking technology.

Goals and objectives of the autumn feeding of bees with syrup

Feeding families in autumn is necessary to create a sufficient amount of food for further wintering of the swarm. The best option is honey. Feeding the bees sugar syrup in the fall helps to preserve the bee product so that the apiary is commercially viable. There are a number of special cases when top dressing in the fall is necessary:

1. The location of the apiary is far from honey plants – insects stocked up on honeydew honey, a product toxic to them. It is completely removed from the hives, replaced with a sugar solution. If the nectar crystallizes, the bees do not seal it, they also remove it.
2. The rainy summer prevented the flight of insects for bribes; they did not collect the required volume of nectar for honey production.
3. Replacement measure after pumping.
4. Poor flowering of honey plants.
5. Sugar syrup is prepared for bees in the fall with the addition of a medicinal preparation in order to treat the swarm.

In the Central regions, with poor honey flow, incentive feeding is used in the fall, which stimulates the instincts of the family. The measure is necessary if the uterus stopped laying early. They give sugar food in small portions, the receiving bees in the hive perceive it as a bribe, begin to intensively feed the queen, which, in turn, resumes laying. For this purpose, proportions are irrelevant.

What syrup to give bees in the fall

Apply the classic version of cooking and with a variety of additives. The choice depends on the climatic conditions of the region, on the wintering place and the state of the swarm. Main types:

• traditional, consisting of sugar and water – it includes the necessary additives or is given in its pure form;
• inverted – based on natural honey;
• honey full – prepare a syrup for feeding in the fall in a certain proportion of water and honey, used to stimulate the uterus to lay eggs.

Its preparation does not take much time and does not bring significant material costs. They give such food only to a strong family, a weakened one is strengthened with frames from another hive.

Feeding is carried out:

• with the help of special feeders;
• give the required amount of the product, do not abuse it, otherwise the family will stop harvesting nectar on their own;
• sugar for cooking is taken of good quality;
• in good weather, the best processing of the solution for honey takes place at a temperature of 20⁰ C;
• to exclude theft, complementary foods are given in the evening, after the return of the pickers to the hive.

Do not give hot solution.

How to make syrup for bees in the fall

The preparation of complementary foods requires a strict ratio of water and sugar. The bees are fed in autumn with sugar syrup prepared in proportion. Too thick a solution may crystallize when placed in a honeycomb. Beekeepers use the product of different concentrations. In addition to the classic, inverted meals are prepared for weaker families.

Sugar syrup for bees in autumn: proportions + table

Strong families winter safely. Collectors wear out when flying over long distances. Young insects in the hive spend a lot of energy processing and plugging honey into combs. To unload them, top dressing is carried out with a sugar product in the fall.

Technology of preparation:

1. They take only white sugar, do not use yellow cane for feeding.
2. Pour water into the container, bring to a boil.
3. Sugar is introduced in small portions, constantly mixed.
4. Keep the mixture on fire until the crystals are completely dissolved.
5. To prevent burning, the liquid does not boil.

Cool down to 35⁰ C, fed to families. It is recommended to take soft water. Rigid accelerates the crystallization process, it is preliminarily defended for 24 hours.

Table for the preparation of sugar syrup for autumn feeding of bees:

An inverted sugar solution is given in autumn to a weaker swarm. Insects spend less energy on processing into honey, the survival rate of bees after wintering is higher. The bee product does not crystallize, it is better absorbed by insects. Feed preparation:

1. Make a 70% solution of sugar.
2. For autumn feeding of bees, honey is added to the syrup in a ratio of 1:10 (10% of honey from the total volume).
3. Bring to a boil, stirring well.

The mixture is removed for 1 week for infusion, before being distributed to the hives, it is heated to 30⁰C.

How to prepare syrup for bees with vinegar in autumn

Nectar from honey plants brought to the hive has a neutral reaction, like autumn complementary foods. Ready honey is acidic. Autumn top dressing with sugar syrup with vinegar is more readily taken by bees, they spend less energy for processing and clogging into honeycombs. The acid in the solution accelerates the breakdown of sugars, greatly facilitating the work of insects.

Use for the preparation of 80% essence with the calculation of 0,5 tbsp. l. for 5 kg of sugar. Beekeepers prefer apple cider vinegar as an additive, it supplements the feed with microelements and vitamins. The swarm tolerates wintering better, the queen starts laying eggs earlier. Prepare a sugar solution in the calculation of 2 tbsp. l. vinegar per 1 liter of product.

How to cook syrup for bees with bitter pepper in autumn

Hot pepper is added to top dressing in the fall for the prevention and treatment of varroatosis. The family reacts well to the component, pepper improves digestion, ticks do not tolerate the additive. Pre-prepare the tincture:

1. Finely chopped 50 g fresh red pepper.
2. Put in a thermos, pour 1 liter of boiling water.
3. They insist for days.
4. Add 150 ml of tincture to 2,5 liters of solution.

Autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup with hot pepper stimulates the uterus to lay eggs, shedding of mites from bees is noted. Give the product to the swarm with the calculation of 200 ml per 1 street.

How to feed bees with sugar syrup in autumn

The main task of top dressing is for the family to winter with enough food. Feeding bees with honey in autumn is impractical, so they give a sugar product. The quantity is calculated taking into account:

1. What climate zone is the apiary in? In a cold long winter, food is needed in a larger volume than in the southern regions.
2. If the hives are on the street, the insects will spend more energy on heating, respectively, the food supply should be in abundance, the apiary located in the winter in the product shed will spend less.
3. A formed family with 8 frames uses more honey than a hibernating 5 frame.

The frames installed for the winter must contain more than 2 kg of sealed bee products. On average, one family accounts for up to 15 kg of honey. In autumn, the sugar solution is given 2 times more than the missing norm. Some of it will go to food for insects during processing, the rest they will seal in honeycombs.

Terms of autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup

Top dressing begins after the completion of the honey collection and pumping out the bee product. Give artificial nectar in August, complete the work no later than September 10th. Timing dictates the life cycle of insects. The bees involved in the processing of raw materials spend a lot of energy, which they will not have time to restore before winter. Most of the individuals will die.

If raw materials are supplied to the hive throughout September, young bees that have recently emerged from the brood will be connected to its processing, they will weaken by winter, and deadness will be added to the hive in spring. The uterus will perceive the intake of nectar as a full-fledged bribe and will not stop laying eggs. The baby will come out too late, in cold weather the young will not have time to fly around, the feces will remain on the combs. From this framework, a swarm of honey will not take, the family is doomed to death, if not from hunger, then from nosematosis.

Ways to feed bees in the fall with sugar syrup

In beekeeping, a feeder is a mandatory attribute for completing a hive. Feeding devices come in different types and with all sorts of installation options. Feeder options:

1. The letkovy is installed on the board near the entrance of the bees to the hive, it consists of a wooden small box, divided into two sections, one of them is placed a container with food.
2. Miller’s feeder is installed on top of the hive, it has a passage for bees.
3. Frame device in the form of a small wooden box, wider than the frame, the edge protrudes from the hive, it is placed near the nest.
4. An open feeding method, when liquid is poured into a small container and placed near the entrance to the hive.
5. The bottom feeder is installed closer to the back wall inside the hive, food flows from the container through the hose, the bottom of the device is equipped with a float so that insects cannot stick.

A commonly used traditional capacitance feeding method. Glass jars are used, the liquid is held by vacuum. The device is installed above the bees, the food comes out of pre-made small holes.

Autumn feeding of bees with sugar syrup in bags

Autumn sugar feeding for bees can be carried out in strong plastic bags so that the material does not tear:

1. The prepared food is poured into a bag, the air is released, tied 4 cm above the liquid.
2. An impromptu feeder is placed on top of the frames.
3. Feed exit cuts can be omitted. Insects will gnaw through thin material themselves.
4. A single dose is calculated according to the number of bees in the family. A swarm of 8 frames per night processes about 4,5 liters of raw materials into honey.

Observation of bees after autumn feeding with syrup

During the autumn feeding, the behavior of the family is constantly monitored. The phenomenon is quite rare, when the substituted cells remain empty, the insects do not show activity. The sealed honey in the old frames is not enough to feed the swarm, and the sugar solution in the feeder remains intact.

Why don’t bees take syrup in autumn

There are a number of reasons why bees do not take syrup in the fall, it is necessary to identify and eliminate them. A common reason for refusing to process a sugar product is:

1. The appearance of a strong bribe, as a rule, in August, from the honeydew, the bees switch to honey collection and do not take top dressing.
2. Bee operation and a large area with brood. A weakened insect will leave the transfer of artificial nectar in favor of heating the children.
3. The spread of infection inside the hive, sick individuals will not be engaged in the procurement of stock.
4. A spoiled (fermented) product will remain untouched.
5. Late time for feeding, if the air temperature is about +10⁰C bee stops bribes.
6. Do not exclude the appearance in the hive of an extraneous smell from mice or from the material of the container into which the liquid was poured.

One of the serious reasons for refusal is the uterus. Before the completion of the main honey collection, in bad weather, the uterus stops laying and does not resume it during feeding. Worker bees wear out and leave, young in insufficient numbers to carry and process the artificial nectar.

Another reason why top dressing remains intact is an old uterus with an expired reproductive period. There is no new brood, the old individuals have worn out in the honey collection, the swarm is weak, there is practically no one to winter, such a family will not take top dressing and is unlikely to overwinter. If, when determining the cause and eliminating it, the insects still do not process the solution, the swarm is fed with candy.

Conclusion

Feeding the bees with sugar syrup in autumn is a necessary measure to ensure that the swarm has enough food for wintering. Activities are carried out after the main honey collection and pumping of the bee product. Beekeepers rarely practice the method of overwintering on a natural product, there is a risk of getting into the reserve of honeydew nectar and developing nosematosis. The processed sugar product is easier to digest by the digestive system of insects and is a guarantee of a successful wintering with a minimum amount of death.