Feeding Sugar Syrup to Top-bar Hives
Many beekeepers feel that leaving an adequate supply of stored honey in the hive provides the most effective energy resource for successful overwintering. But if enough honey is not available in late summer, it may be necessary to feed the bees sugar syrup (2 parts granulated white sugar to one part water).
Many forms of sugar feeders are available for conventional hives, but the choices are more limited for top-bar hives. Top feeders, frame feeders and entrance feeders cannot be easily adapted for use in top-bar hives. And there are few locations within the hive where a feeder may be located.
If there is sufficient empty space in the hive, an inverted bottle feeder or baggie feeder can be used, but these usually supply such small amounts of sugar syrup that they may have to be replenished every day or two.
A better solution is probably a drum feeder placed in the bee yard. This type of feeder is simply a 10 gallon pail filled with the sugar syrup feeding solution. Straw is stuffed into the pail to provide a number of structures on which bees can alight and reach the sugar syrup without risking falling in and drowning. The pail serves all the hives in the bee yard, and can be replenished easily every week or two. A lid partially covering the top of the pail will help to prevent dilution of the sugar solution by rain water.