Inverted syrup for bees: how to make your own hands from sugar and not only | Beekeeping 2024
Invert Sugar Syrup for Bees is a special nutritional blend. It is used to maintain the energy reserve of insects and strengthens their immunity. Thanks to the use of such top dressing, domestic bees can survive the winter, because in the absence of honey or an insufficient amount of honey, the swarm may die. Nutritional formula can be purchased at the store, but it is best to prepare it at home using natural ingredients.
What is invert bee syrup
The way bees eat affects their vital activity, ability to work and the ability to produce he althy offspring.But, despite the fact that the insects themselves are able to provide themselves with food, beekeepers are advised to periodically feed the swarm with special mixtures. Inverted syrup is an excellent recharge.
The value of a product lies in its composition:
- organic acids;
- glucose;
- amino acids;
- fructose;
- minerals.
Feeding is done according to a special recipe. If you strictly adhere to the algorithm for preparing the nutrient mixture, it will retain its useful properties and suitability for a long time.
Differences from sugar
Invert syrup is made from sugar. But the main difference between feeding is that the main ingredient, being processed, is broken down to the level of fructose and sucrose.To achieve this, food acids, honey, or specially manufactured industrial invertase are added to the product.
In addition, sugar invert is absorbed by the bee organism much faster than pure sugar. Therefore, feeding insects with such a product improves their vital activity in general.
Important! Pure sugar is bad for bees! Its use as a top dressing causes depletion of the enzyme system in insects. This can lead to a rapid decrease in their fat body and subsequent death.
How to invert sugar syrup
There are several ways to prepare an invert from sugar for feeding domestic bees. Use raw materials according to GOST, considering that a yellow or brown product will not work, just like powdered sugar.
With honey
Invert syrup with honey as food for bees, cook according to this principle:
- take 7 kilos of sugar and 2 liters of water;
- mix ingredients, beat until smooth;
- add 750 grams of fresh honey to the syrup (last year's will not work) and 2.4 grams of acetic acid;
- put the solution in a place where the air temperature does not exceed 35 ° C, leave for a week.
Don't forget to stir the mass 2-3 times a day. The syrup is ready to use after you see that the foam has "sat down" and the amount of crystallized sugar has become minimal.
With citric acid
If you want to make your own bee food without too much hassle, the citric acid syrup recipe is the best. In this case, the product will contain a high concentration of carbohydrates, which must be taken into account.
For nutrient mass take:
- 6 liters of clean water;
- 7 kilos of sugar;
- 14 grams of citric acid.
Mix all the ingredients, put the saucepan on the stove. Bring the mass to a boil, then, stirring regularly, simmer the mixture over low heat. After an hour, remove the container from the stove, let the syrup cool, after which you can use it for its intended purpose.
With the addition of industrial invertase
If you decide to prepare a nutritional mass based on industrial invertase, keep in mind that you cannot boil such a product. High temperatures will make the mixture toxic.
Required ingredients:
- 5 liters of water;
- 5 kilos of sugar;
- 2 grams of invertase.
Prepare sugar syrup by bringing water and sugar to a boil. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, remove the pan from the stove and let the mass cool down to +40 … +50 ° С.Introduce invertase into the composition, mix everything thoroughly. Place the container in a place where the temperature does not exceed +20 … +50 ° С. Leave the bee food for 2 days, after which you can use the resulting product.
With added lactic acid
This is one of the easiest ways to get bee food. To invert sugar according to this recipe, take:
- 2.8 liters of water;
- 5.5 kilos of sugar;
- 2 grams of lactic acid.
Put all the ingredients in a container for cooking and put on fire. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. Cover the saucepan with the finished syrup, let the product cool down.
Using enzymes from lower organisms
You can also make a nutritious syrup for bees using the invertase of microorganisms of a yeast or fungal nature.Such bee food is distinguished by a high degree of splitting of the elements that make up its composition. In addition, its use avoids diseases that insects can suffer from.
To prepare the mixture, take:
- microorganism invertase (live or dry yeast will do) - 2 grams;
- 5 liters of water;
- 5 kilos of sugar.
This feed is prepared according to the principle typical for receiving top dressing from industrial invertase.
"Bee"
"Bee" is a domestic organic preparation used to invert sugar to feed bees. It contains vitamins and minerals necessary for the body of insects. The principle of food preparation is simple.
You need to mix the same portions of water and sugar, wait until the crystals are completely dissolved.Then add the "Pchelit" powder in the amount of 2 grams per 10 kilograms of syrup, which has a 50% concentration. Maintain the mixture at a temperature of +20 … +30 ° C for 2 days. Ready feed must be used up within 3 days.
Instructions for use
Feeding bees should be given subject to certain rules. Be guided by them so that the remedy is safe, beneficial to insects.
Liquid food
Liquid form of nutrition for domestic bee swarms is applied after a cleansing flight. The syrup should have a 1:1 concentration and should be poured into clean feeders located directly in the hive.
Thick feed
There are several options for such feeding for bees:
- Sugar fudge. To obtain it, 1 part of water is mixed with 2 parts of sugar. The mass is boiled for 20 minutes, then it cools a little, and 600 grams of honey is added to it. The mixture is stirred until plasticity is obtained, after which small balls roll out of it.
- Fodder dough. It can be prepared from 2 kilograms of grated sugar and 1 kilogram of honey, which must first be heated to a temperature of +45 ° C. Like fudge, the dough can be rolled into small balls.
Experienced beekeepers also recommend using candied honey. It must be divided into small portions and wrapped with gauze.
Dosage
When feeding bees with inverted food, try to use up the entire volume of the prepared "dish" at a time. If this is not possible, then before a new distribution of food to insects, it is better to prepare a fresh portion of the mass. Thick feed should be placed in tiles above the club and left for the whole winter. Pour liquid feed into the feeders no more than once a month.
How to distribute
In order for the bees to get their portion of food, equip each hive with feeders in the form of frame or overframe structures.Place glass vessels in them, over which stretch gauze. Above the entrance, the jar of food should be placed upside down. Alternatively, you can spread the food particles into combs.
Why don't bees take syrup
So, you have prepared the inverted food, distributed it to the bees according to the previously indicated instructions. But, unfortunately, they refuse to eat food. There are several explanations for this phenomenon:
- bees live in small families, so they do not have enough individuals to heat the family and transfer top dressing;
- foulbrood or ascospherosis in insects;
- product is stale or sour;
- low air temperature in the hive;
- old queen with few brood.
Analyze the situation, consider all possible options and try to fix the problem if it was found. And most importantly, never give insects stale syrup or, even worse, sour honey.Such products cause digestive disorders in bees, reduce their immunity and can lead to the extinction of their entire family.
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