[casper_zip]

Hey there:

Is is best to just mix the sugar and cool water in a 50-50 mix, or boil it, and let it cool to ambient temp?

Thanks,

casper_zip

 

[honeyman46408]

I mix mine with hot tap water

 

[clarkfarm]

I am a third year beekeeper and have done the 1:1 both ways. If going with the unheated water, I put it into a large clean plastic container with the sugar and shake it a lot. As long as your quantity is small enough for the bees to consume it in a day or two this works pretty well. I have had the sugar in unheated syrup sink to the bottom of a hive top box feeder when the shaking was insufficient and it was one more thing to clean out.

This year I am only feeding a nuc with a quart jar so I am heating the water - I don't necessarily boil it -- just heat it hot enough so that the syrup is clear and not cloudy -- i.e. the sugar has melted. Heating this little bit is convenient so I figure why not.

In the fall, however, with a 2:1 mix, you pretty much have to heat/boil it to get it blended.

 

[concrete-bees]

i mix 8-10lbs of sugar to 1 gal of water -

i just use hot tap - mine is set to 130 degrees - i like a warm shower!!!!!

easy way to make it is in a 5 gal bucket - pour in 1 gallon of water and stir in 10lbs of sugar - if you dump it all in at once - its hard to stir but if you add 1/3 at a time it stirs fast

good luck with your bees

 

[camero7]

I use a paint mixer on a drill driver. Works great.