Outcomes
Learners will gain insight into the timing and scenarios for effective feeding, and recognize different supplementation options.
Key Takeaways
Responsible feeding practices are essential for maintaining bee colony health and vitality, emphasizing proper nutrition over past practices.
Timing is critical when deciding when to feed honey bees, with specific considerations for colony establishment, preventing starvation, and hive recovery.
Different types of feed, such as nectar and pollen substitutes, can be used to supplement bee nutrition, but they should never replace natural food sources, and caution should be exercised to maintain hive health.
Responsible beekeepers have a responsibility to understand the significance of nutrition for the well-being of their colonies.
Feeding: A Balancing Act
Feeding your bees can be done responsibly. Artificial feed plays a crucial role in preventing poor nutrition and starvation among your buzzing companions. However, it’s essential to remember that feeding should never replace natural honey.. No matter how well-intentioned, no product can truly replicate the ambrosial delights of honey or the nutritious richness of pollen. Instead, feeding should be seen as a supplement, a helping hand when nature needs a boost.
When to Extend a Helping Hand
Timing is everything in beekeeping, and knowing when to feed your honey bees is a skill that experienced beekeepers have mastered. Here are some key considerations:
1. Installing a Package or Nucleus Colony: Feeding during this crucial time stimulates wax production and ensures a strong start to the beekeeping season.
2. Spring Build-Up Stimulation: Liquid or dry feeding can give your bees an artificial sense of a production period, increasing their energy levels and encouraging brood development.
3. Preventing Starvation During Winter and Spring: After the winter solstice, bees prepare for the summer flow and won’t store artificial pollen. Autumn feeding ensures they have sustenance while saving their natural food for later.
4. Creating Splits or Raising a Queen: When splitting a colony, providing feed reduces foraging energy and allows bees to focus on brood and population growth.
5. Ailing Colonies: Sick colonies benefit from readily available food, allowing them to recuperate more effectively.
6. Increasing Winter Weight: Autumn feeding can boost the colony’s weight, ensuring it’s robust enough to survive the winter.
7. Feed Left Over Winter: Leaving hard feed in the hive throughout winter supplements their food supply.
But remember, never feed during a flow period! Doing so can adulterate your honey with artificial nectar, leading to compromised quality. During a flow period, resist the urge to harvest any honey.
Types of Bee Feeds
1. Nectar: Liquid feed or syrups made from granulated sugar are commonly used. Simplicity is key here; avoid using sugars like brown sugar, molasses, or cane sugar, as they contain minerals and ash that can harm bees. Dry sugar and fondant are options for emergencies but require water to be accessible to bees.
2. Pollen: Often called the “protein powerhouse” for bees, pollen is vital. There are pollen supplements and substitutes available. Popular substitutes include brewers yeast, soybean flour, skim milk powder, and egg powder. Brewers yeast closely mimics natural pollen’s protein content and provides additional vitamins and minerals. Egg powder and soybean powder are also good protein sources, though soybean powder might not be as appealing to bees.
You can also consider re-feeding stored pollen from your hive. However, this should be approached cautiously to maintain biosecurity.
Conclusion
By understanding when to feed and the types of feed to provide, you can help your hive flourish. Happy beekeeping!
