Feeding bees for winter — heavy syrup
Put 500–600ml water in a heavy saucepan and add 1 kg refined granulated sugar (not brown sugar). Heat the sugar and water gently, stirring steadily, until all the sugar has just dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
If preferred, the sugar can be added to the water and allowed to stand, with occasional stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Naturally this will take longer, but if preparing a large volume of feed for a lot of hives, will do away with the need for a heat source. Usually applied using a contact type of feeder above the crown board, surrounded by an eke or empty super.
Shelf Life: The syrup will keep for the duration of feeding the bees but be aware that syrup, especially if left exposed to the air, will begin to ferment. If sealed into plastic bottles while still fairly hot (not below about 50˚C) this will extend its shelf like significantly. Shelf life indefinite if frozen in a domestic deep-freeze.
Also see video: https://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/learn/bee-basics/feeding-your-honey-bees-for-winter
Beware of the danger of burns or scalds from the hot syrup during preparation.
Feeding bees during the season — light syrup
Put 500ml water in a heavy saucepan and add 500g refined granulated sugar. Heat the sugar and water gently, stirring steadily, until all the sugar has just dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If preferred, the sugar can be added to the water and allowed to stand, with occasional stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Naturally this will take longer, but if preparing a large volume of feed for a lot of hives, will do away with the need for a heat source.
May be fed using a slow feeder inside the hive.
Shelf Life: The syrup should be made only as required, as the high water content will encourage rapid fermentation. Refrigeration will increase shelf life, and freezing will extend it indefinitely. The addition of a very small amount of thymol crystals, without freezing, will also extend the shelf life.
Beware of the danger of burns or scalds from the hot syrup during preparation.
Feeding bees fondant or ‘candy’
You will need a jam thermometer to make fondant. Put 500ml water in a heavy saucepan, and add 2kg refined granulated sugar. Heat the sugar and water to boiling point, stirring all the time to prevent the mixture from burning. Continue to boil briskly until the syrup reaches a temperature of 117˚C.
Meanwhile prepare some moulds for your candy: recycled, plastic, shallow margarine or vegetable/fruit, take-away containers can work well, especially if they are transparent so you can see how much fondant remains. Coat the inside with vegetable oil.
Also, soak an old towel in cold water, and lay it out flat on a waterproof and heatproof work surface, such as a steel drainer, OR fill the kitchen sink with a few inches of cold water.
As soon as the boiling candy reaches 117˚C, remove the pan from the heat and place it on the wet towel, or into the water in the sink (be sure this does not come over the top of the pan). This will start to cool the mixture quickly. (Don’t be alarmed as the towel hisses and steams – this is normal as the temperature of the pan and candy is now well above the boiling point of water.) Stir the mixture continuously and observe that as it cools, it quickly starts to turn cloudy and thicken. Continue stirring only so long as the mixture can still be poured easily, then pour quickly into the prepared containers and leave undisturbed until set and cold.
Fondant is placed directly over the top of the frames of bees or above the holes in the crown board, with the container upside down so the bees can access the candy. Leaving the plastic container in place will prevent the fondant drying out on the upper side. An eke or empty super may be needed to surround the fondant.
Shelf Life: The fondant should be sealed into double thickness of plastic bags as soon as it has cooled in its mould, to prevent it absorbing water from the air. Then it will last for several months in a warm dry room (but not in a damp outbuilding or shed).
Beware of the danger of burns or scalds from the hot syrup during preparation.