Feeding should generally be avoided during the main beekeeping season to protect the integrity of your honey harvest. Introducing sugar syrup while nectar flow is active runs a high risk of contaminating the honey stores, technically rendering the product adulterated rather than pure honey.
The primary rule of seasonal feeding is to prioritize honey purity. Feeding sugar syrup during the main flow compromises the quality of your harvest by mixing artificial feed with natural nectar.
Protecting the Harvest Integrity
The Definition of Adulteration
Honey is defined by its natural floral source. Adulteration occurs when foreign substances, such as sugar syrup, are mixed into the final product.
How Contamination Occurs
Bees do not distinguish between natural nectar and provided syrup when storing carbohydrates. They will process both simultaneously.
The Storage Problem
If you feed during a honey flow, bees will store the syrup in the same cells alongside the nectar. This results in a hybrid product that cannot legally or ethically be sold as pure honey.
Understanding the Exceptions and Trade-offs
The "Absolutely Necessary" Rule
The primary reference states that feeding should be avoided "unless it is absolutely necessary." This condition typically applies when a colony faces immediate starvation due to prolonged bad weather or a dearth of nectar.
The Cost of Intervention
If you determine that feeding is required to save the colony, you must accept a trade-off. By introducing syrup to save the bees, you are effectively sacrificing the purity of the current honey crop.
Managing the Risk
If emergency feeding is required, any honey supers currently on the hive are at risk of contamination. These frames should generally be considered compromised for the purpose of a pure harvest.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
To navigate the main season correctly, weigh the colony's immediate survival needs against your production goals.
- If your primary focus is pure honey production: Do not feed sugar syrup while honey supers are on the hive to ensure zero adulteration.
- If your primary focus is colony survival during a dearth: Feed immediately to prevent starvation, but acknowledge that the current honey stores will contain sugar syrup.
Prioritize the bees' health first, but maintain strict boundaries to preserve the quality of your harvest.
Summary Table:
| Scenario | Feeding Action | Impact on Honey Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Active Nectar Flow | Avoid Feeding | Ensures 100% pure, unadulterated honey. |
| Honey Supers On | Avoid Feeding | Prevents sugar syrup from mixing with nectar stores. |
| Nectar Dearth/Bad Weather | Emergency Feed Only | Risk: High chance of harvest contamination. |
| Colony Starvation Risk | Feed Immediately | Trade-off: Saves bees but sacrifices honey purity. |
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