Sugar.

[Dishmop]

Having recently seen a suggestion of "give them some sugar" is there any reason why sugar lumps cannot be used on the vents of my observation hive. I know they only take it away and store it, or would this be too concentrated a form to deal with?

 

[MuswellMetro]

an old method was to dip a 2lb bag of sugar in a bucket of water then palce it on top by the feed hole and slash it with a hive tool for the bees to get access

granulated or sugar cubes need a lot of water for the bees to use it, perhaps in an emergency ok, but i would not do it long term,

or are you doing it just for "show" in the observation hive etc if so sucgest a water source in the hive or at the entrance

 

[Dishmop]

Not doing it for show.

I did make a feeder with a bottle and plastic tube but its not working as well as I thought.. If holes in tube are too small they block up and if much bigger the syrup runs out all over the place. Not that the bees mind but it leaks out of the bottom vent..

Odd you should say about water because I was wondering why they were sitting on the landing board doing nothing but then I realised they were drinking rain water and also licking it off each other...

 

[Summerslease]

I bought a rapid feeder for both my hives and am feeding a solution of 2kg sugar in 1 litre of water (winter feed). Professional kit and sugar solution as recommended in this forum. The bees love it and I am refilling every other day. They must have been starving but are now filling the brood box for winter. My bees are too valuable to cobble together equipment that doesn't work and experiment with feed they won't eat.