# For winter feeding is a sugar board better or syrup?



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I fed my bees today: the feeders were both empty and the bees were cranky. I did get one sting as I can generally change the feeders in the top box without trouble. So I did not bother to suit up as I was not expecting them to be aggressive at all.

If I had put a sugar board in instead of a feeder it likely would have lasted all winter and spring, which would have been less work AND saved me from getting stung.

The only question I have is, what is better for the BEES? Hives are more likely to survive the winter if they are hovered over.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

I was feeding sugar syrup with a little salt and white vinegar. It worked for a while then caused robbing. Yellow jackets and the strong hives robbing the weak. I think I lost 3 hives so far this spring. If you get a syrup leak you are asking for trouble. Sooner or later it leaks. I considered open feeding 100 yards away from hives. I get the big tree roaches and ants in hive from feeding syrup. Some of my nice calm hives are now aggressive since the robbing episodes. Only feed if you have to. You might want to feed them some pollen if it is not coming in. The answer is probably sugar board in the winter and sugar syrup for a little while in the spring.


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## Steve in PA (Nov 25, 2011)

I have been told that they won't take syrup when it is under 50 degrees. I made up sugar blocks/slabs with sugar/water/ACV/and a little salt. The first ones I made were pressed over some wire in a box and acted as the inner cover until they ate through it. The sugar lasted from Nov until now but there isn't much left.







All my hives ate through the front first. I assume it is because it is uninsulated and faces the south. The other 3 sides are insulated or packed against other hives and wrapped.

In late early February my daughter and I made sugar pucks in a silicone muffin pan. I like that what I don't use can be made into syrup come spring.









This is one of my hives on a warm day a few weeks ago when I added more pucks. The square is what remains of a sugar block from Nov.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you live where it gets below 50F on a regular basis some form of a candy board is best as the bees won't take liquid below 50F.


 Al


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Then I will make some sugar "pucks" to set beside the feeder, as we are not quite done with winter yet. We are still getting frost every couple of nights.

Thanks!


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have a hard time handling syrup in winter.

It needs to be warm enough for the syrup to be liquid.


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