How to Feed Normal Dry Sugar

**applefan** · 03-24-2011, 07:00 PM

Hi All!

In the winter, if your hive is low on honey, I've heard that it is common to feed dry sugar. How would this be done? Sprinkling it over frames?

Thanks!

**FRAMEshift** · 03-24-2011, 07:35 PM

Put newspaper on top of the frames, leaving a gap on one side so the bees can climb up to get the sugar. Put the dry sugar on the newspaper and sprinkle it with water to make it clump a bit. This will make the sugar more inviting and prevent it from being carried out of the hive as trash.

**AstroBee** · 03-24-2011, 07:53 PM

Just to add, I lay down the newspaper and spray the paper with water, then pour on the sugar. I have modified the approach lately to pour the sugar in layers, spraying each layer with water to form layers a crusts. This helps to prevent blowouts (the dry sugar raining down on the bees). I do this very late in the fall to early winter.

**Cedar Hill** · 03-24-2011, 08:15 PM

It works just as well to pour the sugar on top of the inner cover. Using newspaper on the frames works, however as the newspaper is eaten away by the bees, the sugar inevitably falls through the frames. If your bottom board has an open screen, the sugar falls to the ground and during the spring and summer months, there will inevitably develop an attraction for the ants. The ants will then try to inhabit some of your hives. Having the sugar on the inner cover also allows you to recover the excess not consumed by the bees. This sugar can in turn be used for spring feeding of sugar syrup. Have been doing this for more years than I can count, bees will definitely quickly find the sugar. Moisture from the cluster will also go right into the sugar in that area of the inner cover, no need to add any water. OMTCW

**Michael Bush** · 03-25-2011, 12:33 AM

Spray the sugar with a little water so it clumps and doesn't fall through. Put it on top of newspaper so it's in CONTACT with the cluster.

Pictures:
http://bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#drysugar

**applefan** · 03-25-2011, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Michael Bush

Spray the sugar with a little water so it clumps and doesn't fall through. Put it on top of newspaper so it's in CONTACT with the cluster.

Pictures:
http://bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#drysugar

I was looking at the pictures (http://bushfarms.com/images/SugarFeeding3.jpg)… that's a TON of sugar. Do you really need that much?

**Michael Bush** · 03-25-2011, 11:38 AM

I try to make sure they have enough in the fall. That's not in the spring. Yes, if the hive is really light they will go through 20 or 30 pounds of sugar.

**schmism** · 03-25-2011, 04:06 PM

Ive done both inside and ontop of the inner cover.

inside they cleaned it up and packed it into cells in no time.

this spring i put about 3 lbs ontop of the inner cover and as far as i can tell, they havnt touched it..... course they could still have stores left... i didnt check

**applefan** · 03-25-2011, 04:58 PM

cool! Thanks everyone!

**stripstrike** · 03-25-2011, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by applefan

I was looking at the pictures (http://bushfarms.com/images/SugarFeeding3.jpg)… that's a TON of sugar. Do you really need that much?

I put ten pounds in each of my hives over Thanksgiving. One has about 1/4 of it left, the other never touched it. It probably helped absorb moisture over what was a pretty snowy winter as well.