Hi all,
we have had a very mild winter here in Northern New Jersey but now after some nice warm spring days we are getting a cold blast. I need to feed my bees and don’t want to use as it may freeze over night.
Please give us some ideas and recipes (I am sure I am not alone in this…)
Thanks!
Rob Berry
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Syrup will not freeze if prepared correctly there is too much sugar in it to allow the mixture to actually freeze(unless it is super cold) 1:1 syrup freezes at 18 F(-7.6 C). However it can become too cold for the bees to consume which is another issue to consider. Syrup should be 50+ degrees to be usable by the bees. You could pull them out at night if you are really worried about it. You can also feed dry sugar instead of syrup which they can take in at any temperature.
How cold is it going to get? I am asking because I am have a vague memory that @Dee has said that she has put 1:1 sugar syrup in the freezer, and it didn’t freeze, even after several days.
The forecast is for around 20 F - isnt it bad to give bees liquid based food when they cat exit the hive to 'cleanse’
Thanks!
How many days are you forecast to be under 50 degrees? If the syrup is under 50 degrees the bees can’t eat/drink it anyway. You may want to look at using the dry sugar feeding method if you will be cold for any lengthy period of time, the bees can eat dry sugar at any temp
We have a winner!!!