Beyond preventing starvation in established hives, feeding is strictly necessary when a colony lacks the physical infrastructure or resources to support itself. Specifically, you must feed when installing a new package of bees, establishing a swarm during a nectar shortage, or rehabilitating a colony that has been robbed of its stores.
Feeding serves as an artificial nectar flow that does more than provide calories; it stimulates the production of wax for comb building and accelerates brood rearing. This energy input is critical for colonies that have no food reserves or finished comb.
Scenarios Requiring Infrastructure Support
When a colony is starting from scratch, it lacks the two essential components for survival: drawn comb and food stores. Feeding bridges this gap.
Establishing a New Package
A package of bees arrives with a queen and workers but absolutely no furniture—no wax comb and no honey.
The bees require a massive intake of carbohydrates to stimulate their wax glands. Without feeding, they cannot build the comb necessary to store food or house the queen's eggs.
Furthermore, feeding provides the immediate energy required to raise the first generation of young bees, ensuring the colony's population expands rather than contracts.
Stabilizing a Swarm During a Dearth
Capturing a swarm is similar to installing a package, as the bees have left their resources behind.
If you capture a swarm just before or during a "dearth"—a period when no natural nectar is available—the colony is in immediate danger.
Feeding provides the stability needed for the swarm to establish itself, draw comb, and survive until natural sources become available again.
Scenarios Requiring Disaster Recovery
Even established colonies can face sudden resource depletion that requires immediate intervention to prevent total collapse.
Rebuilding After Robbing
"Robbing" occurs when stronger hives attack a weaker hive and steal its honey stores.
A robbed hive is often left completely destitute, with its winter reserves wiped out in a matter of hours or days.
You must feed these colonies immediately to help them replace the stolen stores. Without this artificial aid, the colony will not have the energy to rebuild and will likely perish.
Understanding the Trade-offs
While feeding is essential in the scenarios above, it is not without risk.
The Risk of Induced Robbing
Feeding sugar syrup can trigger a feeding frenzy. If the syrup scent is detected by other hives, it may incite the very robbing behavior you are trying to remedy.
The Danger of "Honeybound" Hives
If you feed a colony that already has sufficient stores and comb, they may fill the brood nest with syrup.
This leaves no empty cells for the queen to lay eggs, effectively halting the colony's growth and population renewal.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
The decision to feed should be driven by the specific status of the colony's resources and infrastructure.
- If your primary focus is Establishing New Colonies: Feed continuously until the bees have drawn out enough wax comb to support brood rearing and food storage.
- If your primary focus is Disaster Recovery: Feed heavily immediately after a robbing event or swarm capture during a dearth to prevent rapid colony collapse.
Feeding is a tool for stimulus and recovery, not just a substitute for flowers.
Summary Table:
| Scenario | Primary Reason for Feeding | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| New Bee Package | No existing infrastructure (comb) | Stimulates wax glands for comb building |
| Swarm Capture | Nectar dearth or resource lack | Provides stability to establish new hive |
| Robbed Colony | Sudden loss of stored reserves | Immediate recovery of essential energy |
| Wax Production | Lack of drawn comb | Accelerates brood rearing capacity |
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