These recipes are suggestions from members of the Dunn County Beekeepers. Use which you like or alter as needed.
Feeding is suggested in the spring especially if your bees have used up their winter stores of honey, they may need syrup for a few weeks until the nectar starts to flow. Especially feed a new package until they have established themselves in their hive with honey stores from nectar in the wild.
Watch for the dearth in late summer, when there are no flowers blooming. Summer dearth is usually caused by high temperatures, a lack of rainfall, or both.
Autumn feeding is 2:1 syrup which starts the hive preparing for winter when the flowers have left for the season. Reducing the hive entrance to its smallest to assist the guard bees in protecting the hive from robbers.
The winter “candy boards” are a supplement to the honey stores in the hive. There are various methods of feeding candy boards at the top of the hive along with a variety of recipes. Use whichever methods fit your beekeeping tastes. |
Recipes for the Bees
"Bug" Lure and Trap
Wasp/Hornet Trap
Wasp, hornets, house flies, moth attractant, but not honey bees
2 liter small neck bottle Cut off the top where slope meets vertical sides. Punch two holes opposite each other on the top of bottom piece and on the edge of the piece cut off. Invert the top into the bottle bottom and string strong thread through the holes.
Bees enter the bottle to the sweet liquid and can’t find their way out through the hole and drown. Leave the string long enough that you can pull the inverted top up and empty the contents and refill.
Mix together and put in the bottle 1 cup sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 banana peal ripped into four strips Mix some water to fill bottle half full
Insects can be dumped out – use a strainer and save liquid to use again.
The banana is essential as honey bees do not like the smell of bananas and will not enter the trap.
Hang from a tree, shepherds hook or other post near where wasps are flying. Small Hive Beetle (SHB) Lure and Trap Wax moth lure as used by Mel and
Sonny. https://www.beeworks.com/small-hive-beetles/
Make holes in a plastic sandwich box with hot soldering iron that are small enough to exclude bees. Put lure in bottle cap and oil around it in sandwich box. Put on cover and place on top of frames. Place a ‘riser’ on hive to give space for lure container. Lure recipe 1/2 cup Apple Cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 ripe banana peel, cut up finely Combine and allow to ferment before adding small quantities to the trap.
Bananas smell like the alarm pheromone which attracts the SHB. The lure is just to get beetles into the trap where they get stuck in the oil. A black container is best as beetles like dark spaces. A way to drive beetles from a hive is to let sunlight in!!! Consider opening a hive on a warm sunny day and let nature drive the beetles away.
Lures outside the hive also will attract SHB but this could bring beetles from some distance. If used outside the hive consider placing the lure away from your apiary.
SHB do not survive in the ground in northern climates where the ground freezes, so we have to be alert in the spring/summer when bees are brought into an apiary.
Another great read on SHB: http://www.beeculture.com/taking-advantage-of-winter-to-help-reduce-pesks/ |
Spring Feeding the Bees
RECIPE #1 1:1 Syrup 8 cups water 4 # sugar (8 cups) 1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp Honey B Healthy Makes 3 qt. + 1 pt.
4 cups water 4 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp Honey B Healthy Makes 6 1/2 cups syrup
Heat water until steamy. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Do not boil. Cool then add Honey B Healthy.
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Autumn Feeding the Bees
RECIPE #1 2:1 Syrup 6 cups water 4 # + 4 cups sugar (12 cups total) Makes 3 qt. + 1 pt.
Heat water until steamy. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Do not boil.
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Winter Feeding the Bees