# Sugar water vs sugar cakes.



## hsprint45 (Dec 18, 2016)

Which is best or is there no difference? I don't like the idea of water over the hive in winter.


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

If your low temps are hitting below 50° use dry sugar. When things warm up above that, use liquid.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

I prefer the sugar bricks all winter, and a water source close by the hives. Gets the girls outside the hive to fetch the water but puts the sugar where they need it.


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## Norcalkyle (Apr 23, 2015)

Both in my area. I like bricks to be on the hive from thanksgiving through march no matter what the stores are. I feel the water absorption of bricks plus the availability of long term sugar is important. I also feed syrup if the weather permits up until the end of February.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

Bees cannot take up liquids like syrup once the temperature of that syrup is below 50-55 degrees, so if your hive is light on stores, you need to feed something solid in the colder temperatures. Sugar blocks, sugar patties, fondant, dry sugar will all work.

HTH

Rusty


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## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

You are not far enough south to feed only with liquid sugar water. If you have an extended period of cold (below 45 degrees F) your bees will not take sugar water. You can either use the mountain camp method with granulated sugar, or make sugar blocks or use fondant. I prefer to mix sugar and water to a consistency like mortar. I build frames with 1X2's equipped with 1/2 inch square wire cloth. After placing a sheet of newspaper on the surface of the wire cloth I shovel the sugar/water mortar onto the newspaper and smooth it out. I let this dry for several days (or weeks) before placing it onto the frame onto the hive. The bees then chew through the sugar flavored newspaper and have food for the winter.

The spring cleanup is a bit easier with this versus the dry sugar dumped onto the top of the frames.

Hope this helps.


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