[TweetEBird007]

You have to feed bees sugar if you are going to rob their honey.

[NoNAIS]

You have to feed bees sugar if you are going to rob their honey.

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Actually - we don’t. We have fed sugar/pollen patties/honey back if the spring begins in a non-productive pattern. Of course we feed grass bales if the livestock needs it as well.

Management of producing livestock/critters only needs to be as complicated as you make it. Then again we aren’t looking to be “profitable” - just self-sustaining.

[bert]

No, bees are fed sugar water to build the colony in slack spring times when their honey is used up or to start a new colony with no stores.

A prudent bee keeper always leaves enough honey to get them trough the winter, taking only that above the estimated winter usage.

Also, a bee swarm sprayed with sugar water becomes distracted and gentler to handle.