The days are getting longer, and we're now counting down the days until we can finally go and care for our bees. April is often synonymous with the first inspection, and it's not uncommon for beekeepers to want to take advantage of this time to supplement their colonies with pollen cakes or sugar paste, more commonly known as candy. However, these products are sometimes wrongly used interchangeably. What's the difference between these two supplements? And when is it a good idea to give them to our bees?
Candi
Sugar is the food that provides energy to adult bees and is naturally found in flower nectar. Rock candy is a sugar paste made from various ingredients, primarily sucrose. This product is commercially produced, but it can easily be made at home with granulated sugar.
Rock candy is used as a food reserve during the winter and very early in the spring. Unlike the concentrated syrup (2:1) that is given to the colonies in the fall, rock candy is solid and crystallized, and therefore cannot be stored in the frames. Thus, it is consumed immediately by the bees when they need it. In addition, due to the cold, it is very difficult to give syrup to the bees in the middle of winter because it will crystallize very quickly at this temperature. Also, the bees form a tight cluster, and will not unravel it as long as it is cold outside.
It's not always necessary to give bee colonies candy. Colonies that still have several frames of syrup and honey in early spring will have enough resources to grow and wait for the arrival of nectar in the flowers. Instead, give candy as soon as possible at the end of winter to colonies that have used up their sugar reserves. This can give them the energy they need to survive until spring. For added peace of mind, you can also place candy on top of the frames when packing the colonies: this will provide an additional sugar reserve for the winter.
Syrup
Syrup, like candy, is a source of energy for bees. In spring, you can give 1:1 syrup to colonies to stimulate egg laying when the temperature warms up and nectar is not yet present. You will give it in small quantities (a few liters at a time), using an entrance feeder or a feeding frame , to prevent it from being stored. Stop giving the syrup as soon as the first honey-producing flowers appear in your region to avoid having sugar honey!
A quick note for maple syrup producers: it might be tempting to give your bees maple sap instead of sugar syrup (we have plenty of it, it's natural), but this isn't a good idea. Maple sap is rich in minerals, which could cause severe dysentery in your bees! Spring is already full of challenges for colonies, so it's better to give them food that's easier to digest.
Pollen cakes
Pollen is the protein source needed to raise larvae in the colony. While most commercial cakes contain pollen, the protein in these supplements usually comes from soy flour and brewer's yeast. The cakes are also enriched with essential vitamins and minerals, in addition to a good amount of sugar. The result is a nutritious and attractive paste for bees.
Pollen cakes are given to colonies in the spring when natural pollen sources (trees and flowers) are not yet available. This helps encourage the rearing of new bees that will replace those that survived the winter. However, they should not be used too early in the season, as this could stimulate the queen to lay eggs at a time when the weather is still too cold! It is therefore recommended to supplement colonies with pollen cakes at the earliest 3-4 weeks before the natural pollen harvest. After this time, the bees will prefer flower pollen to the supplement.
It is important to note that there is no point in supplementing a colony that has run out of syrup reserves with a pollen substitute: you should instead choose candy because these bees need sugar, not protein.
So what do we do?
- In the fall, candy can be placed in the hive when packing if desired.
- At the end of winter, if the hive seems very light when weighed, add candy to the center of the cluster, quickly lifting the roof space to cool the colony as little as possible.
- At the end of March, 3-4 weeks before the natural availability of pollen, take advantage of a sunny day above 10°C to quickly check pollen reserves. Colonies that have less than two frames of pollen are supplemented with a pollen pellet.
- Simple syrup (1:1) can be given in small amounts to stimulate colonies before natural nectar is available.