Winter feed calculator: how much should your bees get?
Enter the number of colonies and kg of sugar per colony, and see how much sugar or ready-made feed to buy.
A normal colony in a temperate climate needs 15 to 20 kg of sugar to get through winter, including the honey it already has. Give less if the hive is already heavy. Feed in 2 or 3 portions and finish by mid September. Invert syrup counts as about 73 % sugar and fondant (such as Apifonda) as about 85 %.
How much winter feed does a colony need?
A normal colony uses 15 to 20 kg of sugar from September to March. Large colonies and colonies in cold, exposed apiaries are at the high end. Small colonies and well insulated hives in shelter can manage with a little less. Honey the colony still has in the brood box counts, so weigh or heft the hive before you decide how much to give.
A single brood box with colony, combs and stores should weigh roughly 35 to 40 kg by mid September. If it is lighter, give more. Feeding 3 kg too much is far cheaper than losing a colony in February.
Sugar, invert syrup or fondant?
- Plain sugar mixed into 60 percent syrup (3:2) is the cheapest. The bees have to invert it and dry it down themselves, so give it in August and September while it is still warm.
- Invert syrup is ready-made feed the bees can take straight away. It is about 73 percent sugar, so you need a little more by weight. Handy with many colonies or when you are late.
- Fondant contains about 85 percent sugar and can be placed on top of the frames all winter. Used for emergency feeding from January to March and for small colonies that cannot take liquid feed.
How to feed
- Feed in the evening in large portions, 5 to 10 litres at a time, to avoid robbing.
- Use a tray feeder or a bucket feeder with small holes on top of the frames so the bees do not drown.
- Do not feed while honey supers are on, or during a varroa treatment if the product does not allow it.
- Finish by mid September so the bees can cap the stores before it gets cold.
- Note the amount for each hive so you can see what worked next year.
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Frequently asked questions
How much winter feed does a colony need?
15 to 20 kg of sugar, including the honey the colony already has. A single brood box ready for winter weighs roughly 35 to 40 kg by mid September.
When should autumn feeding be finished?
By mid September, so the bees can dry the feed down and cap it before temperatures drop.
Can I feed honey?
Only your own honey from healthy colonies. Bought honey and honey from other beekeepers can spread American foulbrood.
How much invert syrup equals 1 kg of sugar?
About 1.4 kg of invert syrup, because syrup is around 73 percent sugar. 1 litre of syrup is roughly 1 kg of sugar.