# Best way to feed honey back to the bees?



## Jeyster (Apr 26, 2013)

I don't have a good answer for you, someone more knowledgeable will answer, I'm sure. It's kinda funny though, customers don't want last season's honey. But if we give it back to the bees, let them cap it, re-extract it,and label it as 'this' season's honey, they'' buy it!


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## liljake83 (Jul 2, 2013)

Add the honey to a hive top feeder and put on the hive


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

Inverted pail or jar feeders works really well if it hasn't started to crystalize. It should be free of crystals for best result


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

LeonardS said:


> All my customers want the honey that I just extracted, so I figured the bees might like this back.


This is not the answer you asked for, but why don't you just sell it? You went to all the work it took to take it from your bees and extract it. what is it about what you just extracted that make your customers
want it? Do they want it instead of last year's crop?


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

Bet they wouldnt know the difference on a piece of bread............. But I admire your honesty, now that they know its last years and they requested this years I would also honor that request. Perhaps come spring harvest this years leftovers get added to the mix. Problem solved. Bet your bees are gonna be happy anyway. G


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## Adamandeverest (Mar 30, 2014)

I'd sell it. Would love to see people taste test blindfolded to tell the difference....


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

There are so many ways to feed honey back to your bees.

The options are:
1) Make honey syrup.
2) Inside the hive shallow pan/plate.
3) Outside feeding (if not scare of robbing.)
4) Combination of sugar syrup + honey syrup for Fall feeding.
5) Pour on empty frame to put back inside the hive.

Don't do jar feeding because honey is too thick. I prefer option #2 or #4 with an empty box on top. They will empty your honey in less than a day.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

if you are sure that the honey came from hives without American foulbrood it can be fed back. AFB spores can be spread with honey. if it is your own honey it is fine to feed if you know it is disease free... as stated above sell it.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hold on to it until you are out of this years and sell it then or cream it and sell it that way. Is it crystallized? Save it for spring and use as emergency feed on wax paper?


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

Instead of last years honey, call it last years "vintage". Raise the price a little bit. It will sell.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

LeonardS said:


> I have about 25 lbs. of honey from last Fall ...


You need more customers.


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

" Bring us some fresh wine! The freshest you’ve got – this year! No more of this old stuff." - Navin Johnson


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

I label my honey as "All Seasons Floral Mix" the allergy people like the fact that it contains pollen from all the year. So I would mix it with this year's and sell it, as mark said you just need more customers.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

beepro said:


> There are so many ways to feed honey back to your bees.
> 
> The options are:
> 1) Make honey syrup.
> ...


BeePro - If you use methods #1 and 4 is there a concern that it will ferment and go bad in the feeder? I was planning to do this, but was told it would quickly go bad so I didn't. I honestly don't know but if you are doing it, give some tips please. I like that idea/method. They will be getting the food they make, just diluted, and that would seem best to me. 

Thanks


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

Bees take honey faster if it is diluted with hot water. Mix should be about 70% honey and 30% water. Don't give the bees more than they can take and store overnight. If you give them more than they can process, then you could have a problem with fermentation.

Honey triggers robbing much faster than sugar syrup, so don't spill honey when putting on the feeders. I use honey that is not table grade to feed cell builders, if I have it. I have found the feed jar over the hole in the inner cover to be the best feeder for my purposes. Just have a container with you to catch the drip when you invert the feed jar. If you do spill honey on the hive body, splash some water on it to wash it away.


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## suburbanrancher (Aug 5, 2011)

I just did this on Sunday using a mason jar in one hive and the capped frames in the others. I'm going home after work to check on how well they took the honey down to the deeps and I'll be able to let you know later.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> You need more customers.


You are right Mark!! I sell my honey in a rural area, so it is just people driving by, that purchase my honey.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

1) Don't feed it if you don't have to. Too many problems with robbing and you already have it harvested... I'd sell it.
2) If you insist on feeding it, you will need to take steps to prevent robbing. Now might be a good time to make some robber screens.
3) I would not water it down as it ferments quickly.
4) You can feed it anyway you feed thick syrup.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

AR Beekeeper said:


> Bees take honey faster if it is diluted with hot water. Mix should be about 70% honey and 30% water. Don't give the bees more than they can take and store overnight. If you give them more than they can process, then you could have a problem with fermentation.
> 
> Honey triggers robbing much faster than sugar syrup, so don't spill honey when putting on the feeders. I use honey that is not table grade to feed cell builders, if I have it. I have found the feed jar over the hole in the inner cover to be the best feeder for my purposes. Just have a container with you to catch the drip when you invert the feed jar. If you do spill honey on the hive body, splash some water on it to wash it away.


ARB pretty much got it here. My method is to mainly feed inverted syrup (2:1) and honey syrup mixed together.
And then put the mixed syrup into a plastic jar feeder with small holes on the lid and a small plastic tray inside the hive. I do use the warm
water to dissolved the sugar first before mixing in the apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey water. A blender will speed up this mixing process.
To solve the fermentation issue, I only feed as much as they will take in a day or 2. After the 2nd day the feed solution will
ferment. So the ACV and honey syrup will act as a stimulant for them to take in the mixed syrup faster. 


Honey and sugar syrup mixed with ACV jar feeders:


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## suburbanrancher (Aug 5, 2011)

LeonardS, as promised, I checked on my hives and found they took down most of the quart jar of honey I had in there. When I was extracting my honey harvest this year, I also extracted the uncapped frames and saved that to feed back to the bees. That honey I've been feeding in quart jars and hive top feeders (rapid feeders) successfully.
I also had capped frames of honey from last year that I wanted them to use in the deeps, so I tried again despite prior failures: I put the medium frames in a medium hive body over the inner cover. It may be that the hive body needs to be a deep for this to work, but I do not have extras to use, and again it did not work. Hope this helps.


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## marcos bees (Jun 3, 2013)

So, if you feed back extracted honey to the bees, *do they just store it immediately? Since it's already honey?* Or do they have to digest it first?


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

LeonardS said:


> I have about 25 lbs. of honey from last Fall that I would like to feed back to the bees. What's the best feeding method to give this back to the bees? All my customers want the honey that I just extracted, so I figured the bees might like this back.


I plan to feed back some honey and I will mix it with 2/1 syrup. I use hive top feeders and only use about 1 gallon at most as they will consume this amount quickly. If there is still a nectar flow they will ignore it and it will ferment.


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