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Sugar Syrup

Updated: Jun 29, 2019

Today was mainly mixing sugar syrup. Hundreds of pounds of sugar get mixed into water in a contraption worthy of McGyver. Actually it's a barrel with PVC piping, valves and a sump pump to circulate the water and sugar.




The syrup goes into mason jars to feed colonies that need it. It also gets sprayed on frames of foundation and drawn comb before they get introduced into a new hive.


The syrup formula is hand written on a piece of faded and curling corrugated cardboard taped to the wall above the mixer...a true artifact worthy of the Smithsonian.





Here's what I read on it:


1:1 Syrup (end Spring)

12.5 gallons water

100 lbs sugar

4 cups vinegar

1.5 cup healthy bee


1:1.5 Syrup (mid-Sept)

9.375 gallons water

100 lbs sugar

4 cups vinegar

.4 cups healthy bee


1:2 Syrup (mid Oct)

6.25 gallons water

100 lbs sugar

4 cups vinegar


Healthy bee is a supplement with essential oils and other stuff.


After mixing syrup, hives were inspected according to the notes from prior weeks. Some hives were split. Saw swarm cells so put them into a queenless colony and placed it facing the other direction beside the colony with a queen. Some colonies needed more space so added frames with foundation and drawn comb.

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