Feeding honey to honey bees might seem like a natural solution when a colony’s food stores are low, yet this practice is often discouraged. Supplemental feeding becomes necessary when natural nectar is scarce, such as during droughts or preparation for winter. The decision to feed is complicated by the risk of disease transmission and the nutritional needs of the colony. Beekeepers must weigh the benefits of a quick energy source against the potential for introducing harmful pathogens. The appropriateness of feeding honey depends entirely on its source and the health status of the colony that produced it.
The Critical Risk of Feeding Unknown Honey
Feeding honey from an unknown source poses a significant threat to the health and survival of a honey bee colony. The primary danger is transmitting serious infectious diseases, most notably American Foulbrood (AFB). This highly destructive bacterial disease is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae.
The spores of Paenibacillus larvae are extremely resilient and can remain viable for decades on beekeeping equipment or in honey. When bees consume contaminated honey, nurse bees inadvertently feed the spores to developing larvae. The spores germinate inside the larvae, multiplying rapidly and killing the developing bees after their cells have been capped.
A common misconception is that pasteurization or boiling the honey will eliminate the risk. However, AFB spores are highly resistant to heat, meaning standard commercial pasteurization methods are not reliably effective. Feeding store-bought honey or honey from an untrusted beekeeper introduces an unacceptable biosecurity risk to the entire apiary. The safest protocol is to assume all external honey is potentially contaminated and avoid feeding it to bees entirely.
When Supplemental Feeding is Necessary and Safe Alternatives
Supplemental feeding is needed to prevent starvation during a nectar dearth, stimulate spring growth, or help the colony build up winter stores. Assistance is required when natural forage is unavailable, when colonies are newly established from a package or nuc, or when a large amount of honey has been harvested. A universally accepted, safe substitute for nectar and honey is sugar syrup made from white granulated cane or beet sugar.
The ratio of sugar to water is adjusted depending on the season and the feeding goal. A light syrup, mixed at a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water, mimics the consistency of natural nectar. This 1:1 mixture is used in the spring to stimulate the queen to lay eggs and encourage the colony to expand its population.
A heavier syrup, prepared using a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water, is used in the fall to prepare the colony for winter. This thick syrup provides a dense, high-calorie food source that the bees can quickly ripen and store for the cold months. Use warm, non-chlorinated water to dissolve the sugar completely, avoiding boiling the mixture as excessive heat can be detrimental to bee health. Other safe solid alternatives for winter include commercial sugar blocks, fondant, or candy boards.
Re-feeding Honey Stores from the Same Colony
The only time it is generally considered safe to feed honey is if it originated from that specific, healthy colony. This is typically done when a beekeeper returns crystallized frames or cleans up honey removed for extraction. This process ensures that any potential pathogens are already present in the hive and not newly introduced from an external source.
Crystallized honey is a common form of internal stores that bees struggle to access because the glucose has solidified. To make it available, beekeepers can gently scratch the wax cappings off the frames and spray them with warm water.
Another technique is to place a block of crystallized honey directly inside the hive near the cluster. The bees use the moisture generated by their respiration to dissolve the hardened sugar and consume it. The primary safety rule remains: the honey must be confirmed as originating from a colony with no history of American Foulbrood or other transferable diseases.