Author Topic: Feeding honey to bees  (Read 3290 times)

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Offline tedh

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Feeding honey to bees
« on: August 24, 2019, 03:22:29 pm »
Hi Everyone,
I've got a few gallons of honey I'm going to feed back to our lighter colonies and I seem to remember that we should mix it with water.  Fifty fifty or a 1 to 1 ratio is what think i read but I am unsure if I read that or just made it up.  Any insight on this would be much appreciated.  Thanks, Ted
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Offline Jen

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2019, 01:02:28 am »
Hi Ted, I sure don't see why you can't do 1:1 with honey and water, it sure couldn't hurt anything. But I know a beek here in our area that feeds straight honey just like 1:1 syrup, with little holes in the lids. I think go for it  ;) 8)
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Offline tedh

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2019, 07:25:11 am »
Right on!  After posting i started looking around on Googl and it seems that feending straight honey is the way to go.  The mixing with water may have been a product of my feverish mind. ;D

I wonder how temperatures play into this.  Don't feed under 50°F?
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Offline iddee

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2019, 07:48:45 am »
Mixing with water means fermentation.Feed it pure.
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Offline tedh

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2019, 08:30:14 am »
Jeez, such an obvious answer.  Thanks iddee.  Makes me wonder if I'll ever be a competent beekeeper.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2019, 08:56:41 am »
iddee's answer is one of those "duh" moments for sure.  All I could think was that the bees would have to reduce the moisture content, so why would you bother mixing it with water?

Offline Jen

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2019, 12:24:09 pm »
My question is: How long does fermentation take with water and honey blend? If you are in a dearth, the bees will have that solution gone in a day and sometimes sooner.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2019, 07:31:48 pm »
My question is: How long does fermentation take with water and honey blend? If you are in a dearth, the bees will have that solution gone in a day and sometimes sooner.

I can't answer that, but I would think temperature has a bearing on that.

Offline iddee

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Re: Feeding honey to bees
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2019, 07:37:18 pm »
Under the right conditions, fermentation can start in less than 24 hours.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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