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Feeding bees in August with syrup is an important part of caring for bee colonies. This is due to the fact that the number of young individuals depends on feeding. In August, the bees are still actively collecting nectar. In the third decade of August, honey is collected, insect syrup is added and the hives are prepared for wintering.
The importance of August bee feeding
Many inexperienced beekeepers, having harvested honey, completely forget about feeding the bees at the end of August.
At the end of September, cold weather sets in, bees gather on honeycombs. They either refuse to take the proposed syrup, or transfer the top dressing to the combs, leaving it without processing. Such food quickly turns sour, and it is impossible to use it.
If you do not give nutrient mixtures to bees, then after wintering the swarm will be rather weakened, because old and weak individuals will die, and new ones, due to lack of food, will not be bred.
When do bees need to be fed in August?
In beekeeping, feeding in August with honey can solve a number of significant problems. Adding sugar syrup or other nutrient mixtures to the hives is necessary in the following cases:
- to increase the masonry produced by the queen of the hive. Thanks to the introduction of syrup in August, it is possible to significantly increase the number of young workers for collecting honey in the next season;
- to maintain the required level of insect activity, which allows individuals to collect the required amount of honey for wintering;
- to create a supply of food for the winter, if the bees have very little honey left. If you give nutrient mixtures throughout August, this will allow families to make reserves for the winter of about 16,5-17 liters.
The addition of a liquid nutrient composition is relevant at a time when the apiary is quite far from places with late-blooming honey plants.
Feeding methods
Many experienced beekeepers recommend placing frames with a small amount of honey behind an insert board for feeding insects in August. If there are no frames, then you need to prepare sugar syrup.
When using syrups, it is recommended to bookmark in the evening, which will allow the bees to process everything and fill the combs by morning. For each family in August, it is recommended to add up to 1 liter of nutrient mixture at night.
In addition, it will be useful for insects if you give them last year’s honey. If there is a small amount of honey, then it can be diluted with water, and then poured into the feeders. Another common way is to bookmark bee bread. As a protein mixture, you can use dry or fresh milk. If necessary, it can be replaced with a solution based on water and granulated sugar.
Feeding bees in August with sugar syrup
In August, the bees are fed with sugar syrup. This method is the most popular. It is recommended to use it if there is no bee bread during the honey collection or the weather conditions are unfavorable. With the help of syrup, you can stimulate the development of the brood.
In August, the syrup must be given 1 time in 3 days. Each feeder should have about 500 ml of syrup. Thanks to such nutrition, individuals will always be active and healthy. The recipe is simple, just mix granulated sugar and clean water in equal proportions and dissolve the ingredients.
The liquid mixture is given in the evening, which minimizes the number of flying individuals from the hive. It is necessary to remove the remnants of feed and add a new one. If insects are not fed, the level of working capacity will be significantly reduced, which will affect future offspring.
Formula preparation
To prepare a nutrient mixture for feeding insects in August, certain proportions should be followed: 6% sugar, 40% water. Most beekeepers use a 1:1 ratio. Given that top dressing will be early, then it is worth adhering to a 2: 1 ratio. Such a mixture will be closer to nectar.
The water used must be soft and free from impurities. Sugar is of high quality. The water is stirred until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved. It is not recommended to melt the ingredients on fire, as there is a chance that the sugar will burn.
When the temperature of the liquid reaches +40 ° C, add 1 g of citric acid for every kilogram of granulated sugar. As a useful additive, honey can be added at the rate of 10% of the total amount of the nutrient mixture.
How to feed the bees in August
In order to provide bees with stimulating top dressing in August, it is necessary to lay it correctly. The step-by-step algorithm for performing all the work on laying the sugar solution is as follows:
- It is necessary to remove the upper insulation from the hive.
- A special feeder should be installed on the frame, in which top dressing prepared for bees is already located.
- In the capacity of the feeder, several rafts are preliminarily made.
- Once the feeder is placed in the hive, close the lid and put the top cover back in place.
This procedure can be repeated as many times as necessary.
Feeding bees with honey in August
It is impossible to be late with the introduction of nutrient compositions for bees. Otherwise, the food will be processed by insects leaving for the winter, individuals will be worn out. Around August 15–16, honey is pumped out, nests are reduced and the first top dressing is introduced. Only the brood remains in the hives.
The introduction of additional food is stopped after the last brood comes out – around the beginning of October. During this period, there is no brood at all or there is a small amount. Insects fill empty cells with honey contents. As a top dressing, you can prepare a sugar-based solution or give settled honey, about 1 kg, which is pre-wrapped in several layers of gauze.
The amount of nutrient mixture that insects need for wintering depends entirely on the strength of the family and the presence of empty cells. As a rule, insects can process from 2 to 6 liters of sugar syrup daily.
Conclusion
Feeding bees in August with syrup is an important stage in the life of insects. Today, experienced beekeepers use a large number of different types of top dressing. Thanks to this diversity, it is possible to increase productivity, productivity and get healthy insects after wintering.