All Beekeeping is Local (Which is Why We Should Feed Supplemental Sugar Syrup in Blackberry Land)

A top-down view into a new hive, with an internal sugar syrup feeder on the left, and pollen patty on the bars on the right. More on feeding pollen in a subsequent post.

One of the first things I learned in a beekeeping class here in Seattle is that what works in Ohio or California can’t be counted on to work in the drizzly PNW.  The methods for maintaining hives vary based on a host of environmental factors, from seasonal temperatures to latitude to urban/suburban/rural locality.  All beekeeping is local, which is why your chances of beekeeping success will be greater if you seek out a local mentor to guide your early efforts.  Here in Blackberry Land, for example, we need to provide supplemental sugar syrup in both the spring and fall when nectar sources are low.  Because our bee season is relatively short, my mentor, Kathy, also recommends feeding syrup throughout the summer of the first year of a new hive, to make sure they have sufficient resources to build plenty of comb.  That comb provides the structure and foundation for all they must do, from brood-rearing to making honey.  In subsequent years, with the comb already built, the hive can then devote its resources to brood-rearing and honey production (lots of it!).  Note, the sugar syrup doesn’t become the basis of their honey; rather it is a temporary food source for the bees.  Therefore, in Year 1 of a new hive in the Pacific Northwest, we shouldn’t expect to harvest much honey – they’ll need it for the winter.  But in Year 2 and beyond, with a healthy hive not spending energy on comb production, we can expect there to be lots of honey to spare. Sweet!

Bee Syrup Recipes - Note, they vary by Season

For Spring (& Summer of the first year):

2 ½ quarts (5 pints) of H20

5 lbs white granulated sugar

Bring water to a rolling boil, turn off heat completely, then add sugar slowly and stir until fully dissolved.  Cool to room temp before feeding to your bees.

For Autumn, feed this thicker syrup which the bees can better use and store for the winter:

2 ½ quarts (5 pints) of H20

10 lbs white granulated sugar

 To make syrup, follow the same method as above.