Preventing Honeybee Starvation: Best Practices for All Year Round
The invention of the moveable frame by Langstroth in 1850 has been as transformatory in beekeeping as the wheel has been for transportation.
Prior to the moveable frame, honey was harvested at the expense of the colony. It was a hunter/gatherer approach to honey collection – an opportunistic venture undertaken without regard to the survival of a colony. With the moveable frame, our relationship with the bee has changed and it has become more like that of a livestock farmer.
Through the invention of the moveable frame, the modern beekeeper provides a home for the bees and in exchange reaps the benefits through taking the honey crop or at least part. However, the relationship is not simply that of a landlord taking payment in kind. The modern beekeeper has responsibilities and the most fundamental of these is making sure the that the colony does not starve.
Bees are amazing!! Even though a queen bee lives for a few years (normally five at the maximum) winter bees only last for months and summer workers burn out after only six weeks the colony itself has the potential to exist forever.
Of course, there are natural events and disease that may prevent a colony continuing ad infinitum but the biggest disrupter to the natural cycle is the beekeeper. Certainly, by taking the stores so painstakingly stockpiled by the bees the beekeeper risks losing the colonies that have so generously supplied the honey to go on our morning toast.
Why Starvation is a Beekeeper’s Biggest Concern
There are many reasons as to why colonies collapse but the most common one is starvation, and this is not just in mid-winter.
Bees rely on two primary food sources: nectar, which they also convert into honey for later use, and pollen. Nectar is a complex sugar, and pollen is the bees’ protein and a vital source of vital minerals and nutrients.
Without the required food a colony’s collapse can be surprisingly rapid.
Recognising the Signs of Honeybee Starvation
Recognising the signs of honeybee starvation is an important beekeeping ability. In your inspections, the detection of light hives, empty frames near the brood or the absence of the pollen-honey crown around the brood nest should prompt immediate supplementary feeding.
Supplementary feeding includes the use of sugar syrup, fondant and protein patties.
Sugar syrup: Although sugar syrup can be made at home by mixing sugar and water in the correct proportion, a proprietary brand is better - if funds allow. A proprietary brand such as Ambrosia bee feed is a complex, inverted sugar that contains a blend of fructose, glucose and sucrose which comes close to natural bee nutrition. Nutritional supplements can be added to the syrup such as Hive Alive to boost the intake of important vitamins.
Fondant: Baker’s fondant icing can be used as a winter feed but a proprietary fondant such as Apicandy or Hive Alive will be better as these contain essential amino acids and vitamins.
Protein Patties: Products such as Proteico and Hive Alive Max Protein provide a protein boost with the latter containing real pollen.
Seasonal Feeding - A Year-Round Guide
How do you keep your bees well fed for them to survive mid-winter and thrive when you the time is right? This guide will help you implement best feeding practices.
Feeding Bees in Late Summer
The beekeeping year starts in late August. From this time through the autumn the job of the beekeeper, in addition to treating for varroa, is to ensure that the colony has sufficient stored resources of honey and pollen to make it through the winter.
Alongside ensuring that the hive is watertight, insulated and ventilated, going into winter with sufficient stores is critical. If there are insufficient stores the beekeeper must feed the bees with sugar syrup in this autumn period so that there are capped stores ahead of the cold winter months.
Feeding Bees in Winter
A normal colony requires about 18-22 kg (around 50lbs) of stores to go through winter. That equates roughly to a super’s worth of honey, and it is therefore recommended that at least this remains after harvesting. Before the cold sets in it is a good idea to put this super below the brood box with the Queen Excluder removed in a so-called winter configuration. This allows the colony to have access to the stores without leaving the queen exposed. As the queen tends to lay at the top of the hive, when the super is placed back on top there should not be much in the way of brood in it.
A super’s worth of honey is a guide only. Honey in a square or rectangular box is not what nature provides and is not the ideal shape for a cluster of bees. Ere on the side of caution when determining whether the bees have sufficient stores to overwinter.
Whilst outside of the hive conditions might be bleak, inside the hive there should be a large cluster of healthy winter bees with readily accessible stocks of both honey and pollen. If the bees need feeding over winter, it is normally too cold to feed sugar syrup. The bees cannot process it and the water content of syrup itself would lead to the hive being damp. Fondant is preferred as this provides immediate nutrition and does not need to be processed by the bees first. Place the bagged fondant above the crown board over the hole of one of the escapes so that the bees can access the feed through a slit in the bag.
Feeding Bees in Spring
Early in spring is when many colonies run out of food. As soon as there is a spell of sunny weather and moderate temperature a beekeeper should check their hives and replenish food stores if they are low. Learn to feel the weight of a full brood and super. If together they feel light, then you will need to feed the bees. If necessary, continue feeding fondant until the weather settles into a prolonged warmer period.
Incoming pollen to a hive stimulates a queen to lay eggs. It is therefore useful to feed a fondant with a pollen ingredient or substitute to help the queen get going early in the season in her egg laying duties.
Feeding Bees in Summer
When the flowers emerge there will normally be sufficient pollen and nectar available for the bees such that supplementary feeding becomes unnecessary. However, in beekeeping there is something that is recognised as the ‘June gap’ in which there is a dearth of nectar to be had by the bees. Nectar dearths often arise when the main spring blooms have faded and the next significant nectar sources have yet to appear.
Each apiary is unique, and the timing of nectar flows can vary widely depending on climate and the available forage. There is no substitute for regular inspection!
There is one time when supplementary feeding can also be useful in the summer, and this is when you have housed a swarm. The bees that have swarmed are intent on building comb as fast as possible, and a syrup feed will help them work night and day on the project.
Forage Management - Helping Bees Find Natural Food Sources
The abundancy and diversity of forage in the natural world is critical to the bees’ survival. Urban environments and monoculture agricultural practises put a stress on the bees. To counter this, encourage your local community to plant bee-friendly flowers, trees and shrubs that provide natural nectar and pollen sources.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Feeding Bees
The obvious mistakes regarding feeding bees are feeding too late and too little. However, there are other things to be mindful of.
If you stimulate the queen to lay by providing pollen supplements in the spring, then it is essential that this is continued until pollen is brought into the hive naturally in sufficient amounts.
Do not feed when there are supers on the hive from which the honey will be extracted. If you do you will be eating or selling processed syrup or candy rather than real honey.
Overall, supplementary feeding is about balance. In the end it is up to the beekeeper to strike that balance to ensure that the colony has sufficient resources for its needs.
How E.H Thorne Can Help You Prevent Honeybee Starvation
E.H. Thorne have been making beekeeping equipment in Lincolnshire for over 100 years and are proud to be the leading manufacturer and retailer in the UK. Our hives are renowned throughout the world for their quality.
As well as hives, Thorne stock a range of equipment including bee feeding equipment and food.
Conclusion - Keeping Your Bees Healthy Year Round
Opening up a hive in the spring to find lifeless bees clinging to empty combs is heartbreaking for the beekeeper and clearly worse for the bees. To prevent this tragedy, the beekeeper needs to be vigilant and proactive.
By staying attentive to the guide above and adapting management practices to the specific conditions of each season and location, beekeepers can greatly reduce the risk of seasonal starvation. With healthy, well-fed bees they will be rewarded with the outputs of a productive colony.
