Feeding Your Bees: When, What, and When Not To

In a perfect world, bees would never need anything from us but a safe home. But new colonies, dry summers, and light fall stores can all leave bees short on food. Knowing when to feed, what to feed, and when to hold off is one of the most useful things a new beekeeper can learn.

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When bees may need feeding

• New colonies. A package or nuc has to build wax comb from scratch, and making wax takes a lot of sugar. Feeding helps them get established.
• During a dearth. A dearth is a stretch when little is blooming. In much of the Bay Area, that often means late summer. (Here's what's still blooming for bees in fall.)
• Light fall stores. If a hive feels light when you heft it in fall, the colony may not have enough to get through the rainy season. (More in Fall Hive Prep in the Bay Area.)
• Emergencies. A colony that's out of food will starve surprisingly fast.

When NOT to feed

• When honey supers are on. Bees will store sugar syrup right alongside nectar, and it ends up in the honey you harvest. That's not honey anymore.
• During a strong nectar flow. Bees prefer real nectar, and extra syrup can crowd the brood nest and push a colony toward swarming.
• With honey from another source. It sounds kind, but honey from unknown hives can carry disease spores that are very hard on bees. Only feed honey from your own healthy colonies.

What to feed: sugar syrup

Use plain white granulated sugar (cane or beet). Skip brown sugar, raw or unrefined sugars, and powdered sugar, which contains starch. These can be hard for bees to digest.

• 1:1 syrup (equal parts sugar and water) is lighter, like nectar. Use it in spring or for new colonies to encourage comb building and brood rearing.
• 2:1 syrup (two parts sugar to one part water) is thicker and less work for bees to store. Use it in fall to build up winter stores.

To make it, warm the water, stir in the sugar until it dissolves, and let it cool before feeding. Don't boil or scorch it, because overheated sugar can form compounds that are harmful to bees.

What about pollen patties?

Syrup gives bees carbohydrates, but pollen is their protein, and they need it to raise brood. Pollen substitute patties can help when little is blooming, or to support spring buildup. Give only what the bees will finish in a few days, since leftover patties can attract pests like small hive beetles.

Choosing a feeder

• Top feeders sit on top of the hive under the lid. They hold a lot and are easy to refill without disturbing the colony much.
• Inverted jars or pails sit over a hole in the inner cover. Simple and inexpensive.
• Frame feeders replace a frame inside the box. Add a float or ladder so bees don't drown.
• Entrance feeders are convenient but can invite robbing, especially in late summer. We don't recommend them for beginners during a dearth.

We avoid open feeding (a bucket of syrup out in the yard). It attracts neighbors' bees, yellowjackets, and robbing, and can spread disease between colonies.

Don't start a robbing frenzy

Syrup smells like an easy meal to every bee and wasp nearby. Feed inside the hive, wipe up spills right away, reduce the entrance on smaller colonies, and refill in the evening when fewer foragers are flying.

A note on cooler months

Bees have a hard time taking liquid syrup when it's cold, because they need to warm it and evaporate the extra water. In cool, damp weather, some beekeepers switch to solid options like fondant or a sugar board. Ask your local club what works in your microclimate.

The best food is still flowers

Feeding is a bridge, not a replacement for good forage. The more blooms you and your neighbors plant, the less often your bees will need help. (Getting started? See What to Plant in October for Happy Bees Next Spring, and avoid these common beginner beekeeping mistakes.)

Plant for your bees: check out The Best Pollinator-Friendly Plants to Grow in Fremont, California. 🌼