Nectar: An introduction

Nectar is a natural sugar substance produced in flowers of all plants. Honey bees usually collect the nectars from the flowers. While storing the nectar in the stomach, the transformation of sugar into honey happen on the action of a few enzymes. Later, the bees store the honey in the beehive.

While intake of nectar, a combination of pollen will increase the number of proteins, minerals, and other nutrients.  Honeybees utilize the nectar in two different ways.

In first, the nectar is used as a substitute to water, making it as a brood food for young bees. Next, the bees ripen the nectar in which the 70-80% of water gets evaporated, making the nectar as syrupy. Also, these riped nectar is used as storage food during the off seasons.

Why we use the Nectar substitutes?

Always inspect the beehive by adequately handling the bees once in ten days to know the state of colony and bees, especially in the early and late spring season. In this way, you can learn the nature of bees and also improves the essential stuff during a specific time.

Due to lack of flowers in the early spring season, there may be a scarcity of food in the colony. Inspection during this specific time supports in supplying of necessary nectar substitutes.

Also, wear protective clothing for safety purpose. If the hive has enough honey of twenty pounds, you can make the next check after ten days. The nectar substitutes will be alternative food for bees and also help to stimulate the egg laying for the queen bee.

Using Nectar substitutes

Based on the necessity and season, there are two ways you can supply the nectar substitutes.

• Light Substitutes – Ratio 1 water: 1 sugar – helps in stimulating the egg laying.
• Thick Substitutes – Ratio 1 water: 2 sugar – usually given at the end of the season.

For each colony, you can feed the syrup separately in evening time as most bees will be in the colony. Also, don’t spill any sugar, this may attract other bugs. Few beekeepers use high fructose corn syrup for feeding the bees. Check the HMF level of corn syrup, as this is toxic to the honey bees on high concentration levels.

Before purchasing the sugar be cautions as there chance of broken bags containing pesticide. Also, avoid soda syrup and candies containing long-chain carbohydrates. Also, avoid purchasing syrup that is out of date which can be toxic to the bees.