My bees are heading into winter and our local beekeepers are discussing winter feeding. One of the more interesting feeds is marshmallows, rather than sugar, fondant, candy, or syrup. Apparently they work, are easy to feed, and readily eaten. Anyone else have experience?
If you don’t have enough honey, the next best thing is pure sugar as syrup or crystals. Anything with starch or solids is not good for bees in winter. I would not feed marshmallows to my bees. Nor powdered sugar, nor raw sugar, nor molasses nor anything else but honey or pure sugar.
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I am with Michael. Honey or feed made with pure white cane sugar are the only things that I am willing to feed to my bees. I don’t need fondant in my climate, as it is warm enough to feed syrup all year.
I make 5:3 sugar to water syrup for fall and winter feeding. It is very simple to make if you bring the water to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and add the sugar while stirring. If you put a lid on it and stir every 5 or 10 minutes, it dissolves with very little effort over about 30 minutes. I then adjust the pH of the cooled syrup to 4 using Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). I put Honey-B-Healthy in it last year, but I won’t be doing that this year as the scent is so persistent in the feeder pails.
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Honey B Healthy can trigger Honey B Robbing!
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I agree according to the stories. I have never seen it myself, but I agree it is possible.