前院種草種花，後院種菜種瓜
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After collecting the last grain of pollen from a Chrysanthemum bush, honey bees are ready for winter in the northern US. I help bees overwinter in two ways.
First, feed bees with 2:1 sugar water starting in early October. 2:1 sugar water is a mixture of 2 parts of sugar and 1 part of water. For example, 10 lb of sugar and 5 lb of water will make 2:1 sugar water. Sugar water is fed to bees in re-purposed ice-cream buckets. Fall feeding in my apiary is an all-you-can-eat buffet for the bees. A strong colony can take down 4-5 gallons of sugar water in a couple of weeks. By the time feeding is done there is probably a total of 60 lbs of honey in each hive, which is sufficient for a colony in Zone 6a. The honey storage will be the main source of food for the bees in winter.
The second thing I do to help bees overwinter is to give each colony a sugar board. A sugar board is essentially a board of hardened granulated sugar. Sugar board should not be the main source of energy for the colony, but rather an insurance policy. Sugar board also provides a little insulation and acts as moisture absorbent. Many types of sugar board or candy board are available commercially, but I prefer to make my own. Home-made sugar board is a lot cheaper and as good as or better than commercial boards. And it is easy to make.
Here is how I make sugar board.
1. The board for the sugar board. The board was made by stapling a queen excluder to a feeding shim. I cut out the center of the queen excluder to make it easier for bees to access the sugar. Since I will use leftover sugar in spring for fall feeding the following year, newspaper or packing paper is not recommended. It will be hard to remove the newspaper stuck to sugar in the spring.
2. A little pollen substitute for winter bees. I use 1:1 sugar water to make pollen patty. Mix 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add pollen substitute to sugar water. Add a little vegetable oil to keep pollen patty moist. If too dry, add a little more sugar water. If too wet, add a little more pollen substitute. Mix ingredients until it feels like playdoh. I give every colony a softball size pollen patty. Pollen patty is placed on the southern side of access hole. Bees like it on the southern side.
3. What sugar to use? The best sugar is white granulated sugar, the lowest-priced sugar you can find at Costco, Walmart or a local grocery store. It does not matter if it is cane sugar or beet sugar. Just don’t use organic sugar, brown sugar or powdered sugar.
4. Mix sugar with water. I have tried different recipes for sugar board and found 330 ml of water per 10 lb of sugar to be the best. 330 ml water is 11 oz. Find a large tote box or tub and work outside. You will make a mess if you make sugar board in the kitchen. The amount of sugar for each colony is not exact science. 10 lb per colony seems to be a good amount. I have 6 colonies, so I need 60 lb of sugar. This is 50 lb sugar. This is 10 lb sugar. 50 lb sugar into the tub. An additional 10 lb into the tub. 330 ml water for 10 lb sugar, so 2000 ml water is needed for 60 lb of sugar. First 1000 ml of water. Mix sugar and water. It is advisable to wear rubber gloves to protect fingers. Another 1000 ml of water. A little apple cider may be helpful, but not required. I usually add 1 cup of apple cider to 60 lb of sugar. Mix sugar and water thoroughly until it feels like wet sand. Scoop up about 10 lb of wet sugar. Place wet sugar on board. Try to spread sugar evenly and snugly at the corners. This piece of lumber is to prevent wet sugar from falling through.
5. Harden sugar board. Sugar boards are placed in the garage for a few days. Sugar board will absorb moisture from the air and become rock hard. Remove the lumber block. Now the sugar boards are ready!
Sugar boards help honey bees overwinter successfully. Colonies come out of winter strong and healthy.
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【博文自薦】
雄蜜蜂為什麽沒有爹？
蜜蜂是怎麽交配的？
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我的英文太爛，看的人更少：）
菲兒天地2024-12-03 04:05:45
回複 'xiaxi' 的評論 : +1
讚英文版，讀者更眾！：）
讚英文版，讀者更眾！：）
謝謝關注！等我的書快出版的時候，我在文學城發個通告。
加州laoren2024-12-02 16:25:23
謝謝回複。
“博主打算在退休之後出版一本關於庭院種菜種花的園藝書和一本雜文集”
我的蜂蜜緊俏呢，哈哈！
xiaxi2024-12-02 13:58:19
就等著買你的蜂蜜了！
“博主打算在退休之後出版一本關於庭院種菜種花的園藝書和一本雜文集”
計劃什麽時候出版？出版後請公告，到時購買。
American Born American? :)
多倫多橄欖樹2024-12-01 09:48:03
錯了，是A B A。
我在想AAC是啥 LOL
多倫多橄欖樹2024-12-01 09:45:49
遊士徹底成A A C啦:)
哈哈，形象的比喻！我這樣做，還是覺得有點對不起蜜蜂 LOL
Charlotte1002024-12-01 07:33:55
彩老師比稅務局仁慈， 跟蜜蜂收稅，還拿糖換。 稅局收稅，我們可沒這待遇。 LOL。
北方蜜蜂過冬有點難度，所以有些養蜂人冬天時把蜜蜂運到南方過冬。謝謝，遲到的感恩節快樂！
加州laoren2024-11-30 18:33:41回複悄悄話遊士好，在寒冷的地區（波士頓）能使蜜蜂安全過冬的成本蠻高的，似乎也蠻麻煩的，不過能成功就一定很開心，開心就好。祝感恩節快樂！
桔子謙虛了！周末快樂！
桔子熟了2024-11-30 12:08:09
厲害了！！回頭再來學~周末快樂！
收成好的年份，蜂蜜收入可以cover白糖的成本，不過現在白糖也貴了。
BeijingGirl12024-11-30 09:31:45
哇， 英文版。 蜜的成本能cover 糖的成本不？ 好在美國糖很便宜。 ：）