feeding ratios

[Propaniac]

I have been feeding my bees corn syrup but that can bee rather expensive.. can someone help with the sugar to water ratios, and should you change the ratios for spring vs. fall feeding? thanks for any help...
Chris

[Pete0]

Feeding for spring and summer is 1:1, 1 LB sugar to 1 pint of water. Feeding for winter is 2:1, 2 LB sugar to 1 pint of water. I mix 25 lbs of sugar to 5 coffee cans of water that has been brought to a boil and then removed from the heat. The sugar disolves better in the hot water. I let it cool and then put it into containers to store. This makes 5 gals and 2 quarts of syrup for me.

Hope this helps,

Pete0
Bena, VA

[Robert Hawkins]

Some say that Early Spring feeding should be 1:2. that's half the sugar. Saves you money and makes em work harder which is the purpose of the spring feeding. Just gets em out of bed in the morning and out to (up to) the nectar.

Hawk

[HRM]

From pink pages of George Imirie
http://brushymountainbeefarm.com/pinkpage.asp?p=5

Sugar syrup can be made up into three different strengths, and you use different strengths for different purposes and at different times of the year, as follows:

1:2 -1 pound of sugar dissolved in 2 pints of water is primarily used as a egg laying stimulant for the queen in late winter and early spring

1:1 -1 pound of sugar dissolved in 1 pint of water is primarily used as an artificial nectar to get bees to build comb and feed brood larvae in spring and summer

2:1 - 2 pounds of sugar dissolved in 1 pint of water is a winter feed substituting for honey in the fall or early winter

[MountainCamp]

I have a little different take on my fall feeding. I feed a light syrup in the fall after I pull the supers off.
The older field bees and any bees that have or had mites may not last till the queen begins laying again.
I want to get the queen to lay an extra cycle or two of brood to boost the population for winter.
I want the colony to have a good population of young bees to get it through winter.

[SleepyHollow]

In the spring I mix 5 lb of sugar in a gallon of hot water. A milk jug works great. In the fall I mix 10 lb of sugar in a gallon of hot water. Works great for me. Bees seem to love it. Bill

[SleepyHollow]

PS a 2 quart mason jar works really well on a bordman feeder. Bill