With the high cost of sugar, I was wondering how everyone is making their sugar syrup. The following is our recipe for one gallon:
7 pounds sugar ... 8 cups water ... bring to boil until clear ... let sit on stove until boiling stops ... when cool, pour into a one gallon container.
1:1 "a pints a pound the world around" 5 pints water 5 pounds of sugar. Any other ratio from there!
I guess I haven't been scientific enough. I never really did anything special to make my syrup and the bees didn't mind.
I have always poured a 5 pound bag of sugar into a clean gallon "mayo" jar. Then, I boil some water and pour it in and stir -- I just make sure that it is filled to or slightly above the shoulder of the jar. I stir again in case any sugar remains on the bottom of the jar. It usually all goes into solution.
Mike
i dump a bunch of sugar in until it looks full enough then use hot tap water. used to boil water, but found the hot tap works fine for 1:1. thicker stuff for fall might require some boiled water.
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To swarms I feed 20% sugar water
Special note: don't drip it every where, oherwise wife will tell you her recipe
Quote from: Finski on July 09, 2011, 07:40:09 PM
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Special note: don't drip it every where, oherwise wife will tell you her recipe
First lesson I learned about feeding bees syrup.
NO SUGAR IN THE HOUSE !!!
And I don't care how good you clean up, wife will still find sticky.
Bee-Bop
Yes, I also make my sugar outside. :-D
I run the tap water until it's hot, then fill a 2 gallon metal pot. I place this on a hot plate (outside) and bring it to a boil. I pour the boiling water into a food grade plastic 5 gallon bucket, and then immediately dump in a 25 lb bag of sugar. Stir for about 30 seconds until the solution is clear. Let it cool and add 4 tablespoons ACV (apple cider vinegar).
This gives you 3.7 gallons of a 3:2 sugar syrup. It has never gone bad on me. I have let it sit out in the sun for 3 months in 90 degree temperatures and the bees still take it like crazy. I don't know at this point if the ACV is necessary for the long shelf life of this solution. I am conducting a little experiment now with identical sugar samples, one with ACV and the other without. We'll see if the ACV really makes a difference.
I use this 3:2 mix all year. If someone has any evidence that 1:1 is really more stimulative for comb building or brood build, I'd like to hear it. I have not yet talked to anyone who has actually done a controlled study to see if 1:1 is better. I know that 3:2 is stable and 1:1 grows bacteria. Since I like to use the syrup "as needed" I can't plan exactly how much I will need. So I like to make sugar that I can store for as long as necessary.
I don't make in large quantities, but here is my recipe
Boil four cups of water
pour into bowl
add 6 cups of sugar
Stir until dissolved
Makes a 3:2 mix and the bees love it...
John
A couple years ago I saw a video (I don't remember the Gentleman's name) where the presenter put 5 lbs. of sugar in a 1 gal. milk jug, filled the rest of the way with water, capped, and shook until dissolved. Seems to work for me too.
Shovel enough sugar into a 270gal tote until it's a little more than half way full. Fill tote with water and mix with a paddle attachment and a 1/2" drill for about an hour.
Scott
8 cups of water and 2 vitamin C tablets. bring to boil add 9 cups sugar stir till clear turn off fire let cool and add a shot of apple cider vinegar. YUMMMMMMY!
makes 1 gallon.
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From British foorum I got a valuable advice to mix syrup with old loundry machine.
Works fine.
Harwood, you need to try mixing with a trolling motor, turn it on and walk away for about 30 minutes or so.
G3, I've been wanting to use a trolling motor but can't bring myself to take it off the boat just yet! I made a bracket for the drill...just turn it on and walk away.
Scott
I buy the 5 lb bags at aldi's or wal mart. boil a gal. of water take it off the burner stir in 15 lb of sugar till clear. It makes 2 gal of heavy syrup fill pails and I'm done. Brad
Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of sugar and top off with water. Nothing overly complicated for me