# What do bees do with dry sugar ?



## Ann Lane Honey (Nov 9, 2017)

When fed dry sugar do bees add water and store it ?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Mostly they just consume it. If they do store any temporarily, it's not any faster than they eat it. I doubt they store any significant amount. Sometimes thy haul it out for trash...


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

I feed dry sugar whenever feeding is needed. I have never had them haul it out of the hive. I don't know for sure whether they eat it or store it or do a little of both. I don't think it makes any difference if they are eating the sugar they are not eating their stored honey.
Here is a good article on the properties of sugar and other choices.
http://www.beeculture.com/sugar-for-bees/


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Welcome to Bee Source, ALH!

The bees will eat up the dry sugar already soften up by the hive moisture or when the
weather is foggy enough to provide the moisture inside. Last winter I poured in the dry
sugar for them during the rainy season as emergency feed. When they need to use it none got haul out as they basically 
enjoyed their sugar all winter long. So either the bees moisten it or the weather will.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

IMO they they don't touch dry sugar until it has absorb moisture. 

Many people mist dry sugar with water when they put it in the hive. The bees will consume more of it this way.

I prefer a no cook air dried sugar block; 1/3 cup of water per 4 lb sugar, a little corn syrup and vitamins; Mix, Spread, Dry, Place on hive. They bees consume all of it. No mess to clean up, never taken out as trash. Store extras for next year.


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## Banemorth (Feb 28, 2015)

I love adding dry sugar to hives as part of the winterization process. Serves the dual purpose of moisture control and emergency feed. By the time they would need it it will have absorbed enough moisture for them to use it. I put some on the top frames over some newspaper with some cuts in it. Works like a charm.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I know one hive for sure stored enough sugar to amaze me. I found a hive just before totally runnng out of added mountain camp and honey stores. Hive was featherweight and I stole a several pound chunk of the MC feed from a neighboring hive. When I came back with sugar bricks, the borrowed sugar was gone. This colony was a bottomless pit. Then as weather warmed but still before any local bloom or external food source, I pulled frames and found lots of brood and several pounds of uncapped stores. There had been no weather fit for robbing or foraging. My hives are snug in insulated wraps. I AM convinced they harvested condensation to liquify the sugar and store it. I have never seen this before, but when do we look for it?


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