Feeding Sugar

Even if a hive makes it through the cold months of December, January and February, they may be rapidly running out of stores and it may be too cold to start feeding them 1:1 sugar syrup to stimulate them to raise brood for the upcoming season.

South Jersey Beekeepers Association (SJBA) member Rob Hevesi is shown demonstrating a stopgap winter measure, to feed hives that are rapidly running out of stores at the end of winter by sprinkling white granulated sugar on the inner cover. This may enable them to survive until the weather warms and you can start feeding syrup.


(Photo by Janet A. Katz