Syrup for bees: how to cook, table of proportions and temperature

When breeding bees, periodically you have to feed the insects. At the same time, beekeepers use a variety of top dressing. The use of a special syrup for bees allows you to increase the efficiency of the economy. It is important to properly prepare this remedy, observing the proportions. When choosing a recipe, it is worth taking into account the seasonal factor and the characteristics of a particular bee colony.

What is bee syrup and why is it needed

The productivity of bees sometimes decreases. This is caused by natural factors, pathologies, nutritional deficiencies. To increase the efficiency of the apiary, you need to use special top dressing.

You can make a special sugar syrup for this.

At the same time, the purposes of its use depend on the season:

• in autumn, the substance is used to make up for the loss of feed due to pumping honey;
• in winter, the composition is needed for the proper nutrition of bee colonies;
• spring syrup helps stimulate oviposition of the uterus.

In what proportions and how to cook it?

When making syrup, it is important to choose the right ratio of water and sugar. When making top dressing, the following options are possible:

1. 40% Concentration - Uses 1 part sugar and 1.5 parts water. This compound helps stimulate the queen's egg production or train the bees.
2. Concentration 50% - in this case, sugar and water must be mixed in equal proportions. This syrup is used for summer feeding of bee colonies.
3. Concentration 60% - in this case, mix sugar with water in a ratio of 1.5:1. The composition is used in the autumn replacement of food or to replenish it.
4. Concentration 70% - in this situation, sugar is mixed with water in a ratio of 2:1. Such a composition is required to be prepared for forced feeding of bee colonies in winter or early spring.

To make sugar syrup, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Take the required amount of white sugar. The cane variety will not work in this case.
2. Pour water into the prepared container.
3. On low heat bring the water to a boil.
4. Introduce sugar in small portions. The mixture needs to be stirred constantly.
5. Wait for the complete dissolution of the crystals. To prevent burning of the composition, it is not recommended to boil it.

The finished mass needs to be cooled to a temperature of +35 degrees. After that, the mixture should be given to the bees. Every beekeeper needs to adhere to a feeding schedule. Usually, this requires several frames to be installed in the central part. Bees will accumulate fresh honey on them.

When carrying out top dressing, you can use different technologies:

1. If it is necessary to obtain a strong brood, the feeding period must be extended. To do this, the bee colony should receive 0.5-1 liter of syrup until all cells are filled.
2. For regular top dressing, add 3-4 liters of sugar syrup once. This will satisfy all the needs of the bees.

In addition, when feeding insects, it is important to consider the following:

1. The method is only suitable for strong families.
2. You can feed the bees with the help of feeders. They are placed on the cover of the hive.
3. Feeding bees too often is not recommended, as there is a risk of weakening colonies.
4. It is important to give food at specific times. If you use the mass very late, the insects will not have time to process it. If the substance is applied too early, the desired results will not be obtained.
5. Food is recommended to be given in the evenings when the risk of bee theft is reduced.
6. Warm syrup is best absorbed. However, it should not be hot.

It is important to consider that excess sugar in the diet of bees harms them. This provokes the depletion of insects by the production of protein enzymes. As a result, they do not have the opportunity to raise young. In addition, there is a risk of shortening the lifespan of insects and premature wear of the uterus.Therefore, do not use sugar supplements too often.

Sugar syrup calculation table for bees

To prepare the syrup, you should use the table data:

Sugar, kilogramsWater, liters401 ,01.5501.0 1.0601.51,0702 1,0

Syrup concentration, %

When making syrup, it is important to take into account the seasonal factor. So, in the summer you can apply the composition with a concentration of 50%. In the spring, it is better to use a more concentrated product.

Why don't bees take syrup?

In some cases, insects do not want to feed. The cause is often illness or poor he alth. In such a situation, it is recommended to treat the hive with medicine.

Also, the texture of the feed may be too thick to cause insects to refuse food. In such a situation, it is necessary to reduce the dose of the concentrate. This will help avoid fermentation in the feeders.

Candy feeding

Candy is often used in apiaries for top dressing. To make this feed, you will need to take powdered sugar and honey in a 4: 1 ratio. Honey should be heated in a water bath, and sugar should be sifted through a sieve. Then you need to combine 2 ingredients.

Why is it better to feed from a bag?

Feeding bees from a bag is considered a fairly convenient way. To do this, you need to take plastic bags and fill them with syrup. Then release the air, tie the bag in a knot and place it on the frame. Outside, the surface must be greased with honey. Thanks to this, the bees will start to take food.

Analogues

As a substitute for syrup, you can use bee bread. It is plant pollen collected by honey bees. It is recommended to combine bee bread with milk in spring, and with yeast in autumn.

Sugar candies are also used as top dressing. To make them, you need to follow these steps:

• mix water with sugar in a ratio of 1:5;
• put on the stove and cook for half an hour, stirring constantly;
• add citric acid - 1 kilogram of sugar will require 2 grams of this component.

Ready-made lollipops should not spread. Also, bees can be given ready-made top dressing. The most effective are ApiMax, AntiVir, Bee.

Using bee syrup helps achieve a range of positive effects. It is important to properly prepare the composition and follow the rules for its use. In the manufacture of the mass, it is imperative to observe the proportions, taking into account the seasonal factor.

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