[Chrismcgahee]

Does anyone when mixing the sugar and water boil it so that it mixes better. Just having problems getting mine to mix. Thought about boiling to get it to mix better, just wondering if anyone has tried this.

 

[EastSideBuzz]

You can boil the water first. Then add sugar without heat. for a 1 to 1 that is just fine. It works with 2:1 fall feeding also. Just let it sit and stirr a few times. You could add water dump half the sugar mix. Then add the next half and mix.

NEVER COOK THE SUGAR IN THE WATER. COOK WATER ADD SUGAR NO HEAT So do not add sugar and bring to boil. You will damage the girls by feeding them that kind of mixture.

 

[peacekeeperapiaries]

we dont boil it, just use warm water. And a "drywall" paddle on a drill to mix. With warm water it takes no time at all to mix.

 

[milwaukee_natural_bees]

Another very simple way we use...Add 5lb sugar bag entirely to gallon milk jug which has been rinsed out...add warm/hot water till full..close lid and shake vigorously, let it cool...Done...! This is almost exact 1:1 mixture, but the bees really don't care about the next decimal point...

 

[The Soap Pixie]

We don't boil either. I use warm tap water and mix in the sugar and the sugar dissipates just fine.

 

[libhart]

I'm a newbee so haven't mixed a ton, but I actually use spring water for this. My tap water is really hard, and for the extra 80 cents for a gallon of good water I think it's worth it. I use the heat and then mix (off the heat) method, I don't quite boil it, maybe hit 160-170. Most of the sugar disolves, but there's always some stubborn little bits. I let it cool in the pan with a lid slightly that's slightly open, and by the time the whole thing gets to room temp all the sugar is dissolved.

 

[Merlyn Votaw]

I use hot tap water because it delsoves better but I don't use it until the next day. I have a gallon paint mixer that I put on a drill motor with a 5 gallon bucket.Before I mixed so much at a time I used a gallon with hot water

 

[jajtiii]

I went through the same issue last year, when I got my first hives.

When you mix it using hot tap water, it does not appear to fully dissolve, so you logically think that putting it on the stove will help things out a bit.

But, if you stir it well and just let the mixture sit over night, the next morning it will be completely dissolved (and the water will be room temperature and ready to be fed to the bees.)

As other folks mentioned, cooking the sugar can result in a food mix that is not that great for the bees.