Preparation of carbohydrate feed and protein top dressing for bees in greenhouses

Carbohydrate feeding: rules for syrup preparation and making candy

In greenhouses, bees cannot collect enough nectar and pollen, so their food reserves must be replenished artificially. It is best to use honey harvested from the previous year, but in case of a shortage, the beekeeper is forced to switch to sugar syrup and candy. Proper preparation of carbohydrate feed ensures that bees successfully survive the nectar shortage and retain strength for pollination of greenhouse crops.

• Syrup ratio — 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 l of water
• Single dose of candy — 1–1.5 kg per colony
• Honey melting temperature — no higher than 60–65 °C
• Protein additives in the dough — from 10% to 42%

To prepare the syrup, use only soft water, especially if the feed is intended for winter. It is important to strictly follow the preparation technology so as not to harm the insects.

1. Bring the measured amount of soft water to a boil.
2. Remove the container from the heat and only then gradually dissolve the granulated sugar while stirring constantly. It is forbidden to add sugar to cold water and then boil the solution.
3. Cool the finished syrup in containers with lids closed, otherwise a hard crystalline crust will form on the surface.

Syrup is distributed to bees at night. For this, special feeders (frame feeders, jars, or wooden top-bar feeders) are used, or the feed is poured directly into the combs and placed into the nests.

In early spring, when it is still cold in the greenhouse and bees cannot take liquid feed from feeders, as well as during winter starvation, a thick feed — candy — is used. To mix it, observe the following proportions:

If the honey has crystallized, pre-melt it in a water bath at a temperature no higher than 60–65 °C. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed until a uniform consistency is reached. The candy is spread over the frames in the form of patties, placing plastic film with cut holes under them — this way the feed will not soil the frames and will not fall to the bottom of the hive.

Protein enrichment of the diet and organization of a safe watering place

In greenhouses, bees constantly suffer from protein deficiency due to a lack of fresh pollen and bee bread. To support colonies, sugar syrup is enriched with protein additives. Milk, albumin curd, and yeast are used as substitutes for natural protein. Additionally, antibiotics can be introduced into the syrup for infection prevention, as well as cobalt — this micronutrient strengthens the immunity of insects and stimulates brood rearing.

In spring and autumn, it is useful to feed bees with honey from old frames that are subject to culling. The frames are uncapped and placed in the evening into the nests of medium and strong colonies. They are placed at the edge of the nest, second from the edge or behind the division board.

For intensive feeding, sugar-protein mixtures based on sugar dough (88–90% powdered sugar, honey, and inverted syrup) are used. Practice shows that it is advisable to add no more than 10–42% of protein components: pollen, yeast, soy flour, or dry milk.

For normal brood development and regulation of humidity in the nest, water is vital for bees. The daily water consumption by a colony depends on external conditions:

If there is no equipped watering place in the greenhouse, bees start flying to leaking taps, puddles, and hoses for irrigation. During chemical treatments of plants, pesticides enter these, which leads to mass poisoning of bee colonies. To protect the apiary, install an individual drinker next to the hive — a wide plate with damp sawdust.

1. Add fresh clean water to the drinker daily.
2. Once a week, thoroughly wash the plate and completely replace the sawdust with fresh ones.
3. During any chemical treatments in the greenhouse, tightly cover the drinker with protective material.