The effect of feeding sugar syrup to honey-bee colonies

Abstract

1. Honey-bee colonies were fed either concentrated or dilute sugar syrup, or remained unfed, in spring, summer, and autumn of 1958 and 1959.2. More concentrated than dilute syrup was accepted in every experiment, but the proportion of concentrated to dilute syrup accepted decreased during the course of both years.3. The concentration of syrup fed made no apparent difference to the gain in weight relative to the sugar taken, probably because the greater efficiency in storing concentrated syrup was offset by the diminution in foraging produced.4. Feeding dilute or concentrated syrup increased brood rearing during and after feeding in one year (bad weather) but had no effect on brood rearing in the other year (good weather).5. While being fed colonies usually collected more pollen than they otherwise would.6. Feeding either concentration of syrup probably decreased nectar gathering when foraging conditions were good, and concentrated syrup may have decreased it more than dilute syrup.