Question about water/sugar ratio

[tbonekel]

I was talking with a guy that lives close to me who has been raising bees just a little longer than I have. When I asked him if he was currently feeding, he said he was feeding a 3 to 1 ratio of sugar syrup to keep away bee diarrhea.  He has a mentor type person that is helping him learn bees. I think I have heard of that kind of ratio only a very few times. 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 seems to be the most common. Am I wrong in saying that 3 to 1 is not necessary for bee health? It just means that they don't have to work so hard in evaporating the liquid, correct?  That being said, at what point do the bees actually ingest the food?

[blueblood]

I have never read or heard of 3:1. 

[GLOCK]

I go with 1+1 for raising brood and making comb. And for stores {winter} I use 2+1  I have seen other ratio I'm guessing 3+1 is for  fall stores I may be wrong.

[Lburou]

Randy Oliver wrote about feeding here.  I trust his take on beekeeping more often than any source I've found.  I would expect a 3:1 (water to sugar) to be perishable in a feeder -that is a hummingbird ratio.  It would need some clorox, thymol, or Honey-bee-healthy to keep the mold down. HTH

There is 3:1 (sugar to water) for winter feeding:

3:1 bee syrup mix is for winter.  At this concentration there is little water to evaporate.  It also is less likely to freeze. This is also the hardest to make.  Use boiling water in making the syrup.  Allow to cool before serving. This has almost no  stimulation in laying.

[Ray]

Does anyone KNOW of a specific study where the different ratios where tested side by side?
Randy Oliver doesn't mention one.

I personally find it hard to believe that sugar ratio would alter the amount of brood reared.
Micheal Bush claims to have seen no correlation between brood rearing and syrup ratios.
I would think that fresh pollen would be more of a stimulator.

[Perry]

First I've heard of 3 to 1. 

[tefer2]

Michael Bush uses 5:3 syrup year round.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm

[Beeboy]

Does anyone KNOW of a specific study where the different ratios where tested side by side?
Randy Oliver doesn't mention one.

I personally find it hard to believe that sugar ratio would alter the amount of brood reared.
Micheal Bush claims to have seen no correlation between brood rearing and syrup ratios.
I would think that fresh pollen would be more of a stimulator.

for carnolians it does make a difference. They won't lay until there is a nectar flow. A 2:1 ratio simulates nectar thus causing the queen to think the flow is on, so she starts laying. I don't know about other breeds, but I hear it's quite different.

[tefer2]

Thinner 1:1 represents a nectar flow and 2:1 is mixed for comb storage.
Carniolans won't raise brood until they know they can feed them.

[Beeboy]

Thinner 1:1 represents a nectar flow and 2:1 is mixed for comb storage.
Carniolans won't raise brood until they know they can feed them.

When I say 2:1 I mean 2 parts water to 1 part sugar, so 2:1 would be thinner, but who knows, I get everything backwards in life!

[tefer2]

   The first numeral represents the sugar amount, the second is the water portion.
Or so I was taught. Maybe I have been mixing it wrong all these years!

[GLOCK]

http://www.apishive.com/honey-bee-health-2/how-when-and-why-to-feed-your-honey-bees

[tefer2]

After reading Glocks post, I guess some folks use 1:2 syrup. We have never tried it and would think you'd have mold problems too. 1:1 is all we mix for spring.

[riverbee]

great link glock.

tefer, that's all i have ever used in the spring as well.....1:1, i do use a little HBH in it as well.

[crazy8days]

Any thoughts/ comments on 5:3 ratio?

[Bamabww]

I have never mixed anything besides 1:1.

[tefer2]

It wouldn't be in there long enough to mold with HBH added. They sure love that smell.
We use it in the spring too.

[Lburou]

http://www.apishive.com/honey-bee-health-2/how-when-and-why-to-feed-your-honey-bees

Thanks Glock, for that excellent link.  Full of good information and complete. 

[Riverrat]

Any thoughts/ comments on 5:3 ratio?

Most people have enough on there hands trying to figure out 1:1 and 2:1 you throw in the 5:3 and it would really get them confused

[Slowmodem]

Any thoughts/ comments on 5:3 ratio?

Most people have enough on there hands trying to figure out 1:1 and 2:1 you throw in the 5:3 and it would really get them confused

I have found that if you mix sugar and water and some lemon juice and HBH, the bees aren't that particular about the ratio.