Feeding your bees pollen or a pollen substitute like Ultra Bee, MegaBee, or Bee-Pro is an important step to giving your bees the greatest head start into early spring.
While nectar is your bees primary source for carbohydrates, it is pollen that packs the punch when it comes to your bees proteins, lipids, sterols, vitamins, minerals and certain carbohydrates. Pollen is absolutely essential for spring bees to get the nutrition they need to create a healthy hive.
According to a study on how your bees take in protein published in the Journal of Insect Physiology, pollen provides your bees with:
A different study, from the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC) notes that, “In colonies with a lack of pollen, brood rearing is delayed until fresh pollen is collected from spring flowers, and these colonies usually emerge from winter with reduced populations.” This suggests that pollen is crucial to your bees diet when feeding bees in spring, or even as early as January. It will give them the best head start to early spring flower blooms and help them increase their population growth quickly.
While you may have used pollen patties to help your bees get through the fall, spring bees call for plain dry pollen or a pollen substitute outside of the hive. The reason for this is so your bees can choose if they want to take the pollen or not. The last thing you want to do is to encourage the bees to produce brood before the hive can handle it. If your queen lays eggs so prolifically that she fills up all the frames in her box with brood, then your bees will be spread thin to try to keep the brood warm. A colony that is spread thin cant cluster to keep themselves warm if there happened to be another cold snap.
Another possible problem with feeding your bees pollen inside the hive while beekeeping in spring is that more bees could be produced than your natural environment could support. This could lead to stress and famine within the hive. If this happens youd be forced to feed your bees sugar water early in the year to keep up with the demand.
This is why its so important to let the weather dictate if your bees have access to the pollen outside of their hive rather than placing it directly in their hive during January or February.
The best way to feed your bees pollen, during late winter/early spring, is by leaving a pile of dry pollen or pollen substitute underneath a small rainproof shelter. A rainproof shelter could be as simple as turning a bucket on its side or under any cover that would keep the pollen from getting wet and caking. Once the pollen has caked, the bees dont seem to want it.
For some creative ideas on pollen feeders check out the video here from Jason Chrisman.
As soon as your neck of the woods finally gets a break in the weather, itd be a good idea to get out to the bee yard and check on your bees.
Youll want to wait for a day that doesnt have wind and has temperatures hovering around 55°F (13°C)degrees or above. On a day like that, you should have little to no fear that your brood would die from the cold while inspecting the frames. Even still though, youll want to be relatively quick about your inspection.
Mid spring is a time when its warm enough during the days that you can open the hive and do a thorough inspection. The temperatures outside are in or above the mid 50s°F (about 10°C) during the day and no longer dip below 23°F (-5°C) degrees at night.
At this time of year, youll easily be able to see your busy bees hustling around the hive. The flowers are flowing and theres plenty of pollen and nectar ripe for the taking. Its warm out, but there is still a fear of the occasional cold snap or early nectar dearth.
If youre not sure if youre in mid spring yet, you can always check out wunderground.com/history (Click Here) to see what the temperatures were like around this time last year in your area. Another option is to check the current years Farmers Almanac or Google for a semi-accurate prediction.
If you are in mid spring and arent just in the middle of an early heat wave, then there are four important aspects to do at this time of year:
The Last Frost Date of your neck of the woods should be circled in red on your calendar.
Normally this frost date is seen as the day that you can plant your vegetables without fear of losing them to cold weather. For beekeepers this means the long hard winter is over and we can finally take a well deserved deep sigh of relief.
Once your area has hit this date there are a number of tasks that you can do to help out your bees.
To figure out your last frost date, you can use this map to get an average date. You can also find it in the current years Farmers Almanac or just Google it.
When your hives are insulated, whether it be tar paper or Styrofoam, its much like theyre wearing a winter coat. These coats are great for the winter, but not for warmer weather.
Now that were well into spring, your hive is ready to shed its heavy coat and start regulating its own temperatures.
Leaving on the insulation would be a terrible idea. Its pretty obvious when a colony is overheating. Theyll either be fanning or bearding outside of their hive.
Youll have a much more productive hive if you take the insulation off once it starts to get warm enough at night after the last frost date.
Tilting your hive is an important step to do during your winter prep. Like a well built roof and gutter system on a house, tilting your hive keeps the water from puddling on/in the hive. This keeps the moisture level in the hive low.
As we mentioned earlier, bees can be susceptible to hypothermia, so we need to keep moisture out of the hive whenever possible.
Some beekeepers keep their hives tilted all year long, especially if they live in an area that rains constantly.
The reason you might untilt your hive is because your bees are building more comb during the spring and summer. Bees use gravity to direct their comb building. If your hive is tilted, it might not produce the most straight and even wax.
The arrival of spring is an exciting yet challenging time for honey bees and native pollinators. After several months of relative inactivity through the winter bee colonies must quickly ramp up brood rearing and foraging to take advantage of the upcoming bloom. However, the erratic weather and dwindling food reserves of early spring can hinder their success. As responsible stewards of our environment, we can take proactive steps to ensure bees enter the main pollination season healthy, well-fed, and ready to thrive.
Assess Overwintered Bee Colonies
The first priority is evaluating the state of any overwintered honey bee colonies. On a mild 50+ degree day briefly inspect the hive by opening the top and looking down through the frames. How many frames are fully covered with bees? Are there still adequate honey stores remaining or are they running dangerously low? Check for signs of a healthy laying queen like eggs and developing brood. Make notes on any colonies that appear weak or concerning so you can determine which require priority care.
Emergency Feed Undernourished Colonies
If you find a colony is perilously short on remaining winter honey stores, they need immediate emergency feeding. Scrape any leftover honey frames from stronger hives if available to share. You can also make an emergency sugar syrup by mixing equal parts white sugar and hot water until dissolved. Place the urgent feed directly over the bee cluster using an inverted jar or baggie feeder. This will provide emergency sustenance until more comprehensive spring feeding can begin. Check food levels weekly and continue feeding until blooms provide natural nutrition.
Begin Equalizing and Stimulative Spring Feeding
Once daytime temperatures are maintaining above 50 degrees, it’s time to start spring feeding all colonies with a 1:1 sugar syrup made from white cane or beet sugar. This thinner syrup will stimulate brood production and population growth without being excessively stored. Aim to give each hive 1-2 gallons of stimulative syrup weekly either through hive top feeders, frame feeders, or entrance feeders. Adjust amounts based on colony size and natural forage availability.
We can also use spring feeding to “equalize” hive strength by giving more syrup to weaker colonies and less to strong ones. This helps provide a boost to struggling hives while preventing the strong from swarming too early. As a general guideline, stop stimulative feeding once spring blooms arrive and bees no longer take the syrup.
Provide Fresh Pollen Substitute
Access to pollen is just as vital as nectar for spring build up. We can supplement natural pollen intake with homemade pollen patties placed right on the top bars of the brood nest. Mix 3 parts sugar with 1 part pollen substitute (bee collected pollen or commercial substitute) and enough light syrup to shape into patties. Apply 1 patty over a 2-3 week period, providing a nutritional boost from the beneficial microbes in bee bread.
Assist with Early Season Hive Management
Certain routine hive management tasks can really help bees along in early spring. On mild days above 50 degrees, briefly open the hives to:
- Remove any remaining winter insulation like wraps or moisture boxes
- Clean bottom boards of debris
- Do quick inspection for overt disease/pest issues
- Rearrange frames for proper bee space as needed
- Equalize colony strength by moving resources between hives
- Add honey supers and/or extra hive bodies to provide needed space
Provide Fresh Water Sources
Providing a clean water source near the apiary supports thermoregulation, food processing, and communal food sharing in spring bees. Options include a bird bath filled with rocks, a 5 gallon bucket with floating corks, a partially shaded ground dish, or a trough with twigs for perching. Change the water every few days to prevent mosquito breeding. Locate water in partial shade and if possible, add features like twigs, gravel or moss for safer perching and wicking.
Avoid Early Season Pesticide Use
Pesticide exposure poses heightened risks for young spring bee colonies before populations robustly rebound. It’s best to avoid spraying insecticides, herbicides or fungicides on blooming plants near hives until later season when forager numbers increase. Alert neighbors to hives and request they minimize chemical use if possible until summer.
Provide Early Blooming Pollen and Nectar Sources
One of the very best ways to support spring bees is providing a continuous sequence of blossoms from which to forage. Focus on incorporating early blooming native plants, shrubs, trees and perennials adapted to your region, such as:
- Spring bulbs – crocus, hyacinth, daffodils
- Flowering trees – redbud, willow, apple
- Berry bushes – blueberry, blackberry, raspberry
- Pollen-rich flowers – dandelions, henbit, deadnettle
- Fragrant herbs – thyme, hyssop, rosemary
Aim for at least 3 blooming species in each early season. Avoid excessive pruning or clearing dormant beds to preserve flowering cover. Consider planting new bee forage if space allows.
Set Out Swarm Traps
For beekeepers struggling with recurrent spring swarming, providing empty bee boxes around the apiary can help naturally “catch” these homeless swarms. Bait traps with a few drops of lemongrass oil and old brood comb. Position traps 15-20 feet high facing south in areas protected from harsh weather. Check frequently and collect captured swarms to rehome.
Join Your Local Beekeeping Association
Connect with other beekeepers nearby! Local clubs provide mentorship, education days, shared equipment and regional insights. Members often assist each other with early season hive evaluations and preparations. Don’t underestimate the value of learning from those with experience in your specific climate and conditions.
Stay Adaptable to Changing Conditions
The key to successfully supporting spring bees is staying observant and flexible as conditions evolve. Closely monitor bloom cycles, weather patterns, hive activity and pest/disease threats throughout your area. Adapt care plans accordingly by modifying feed regiments, hive configurations, forage plantings and other beekeeping practices to match the circumstances bees face each unique spring.
While the unpredictability of early spring weather and forage can certainly challenge bees, we can take many proactive steps to help our pollinators enter the main blooming season healthy, well-fed and primed for success. By providing stopgap feeding, vigilantly monitoring hives, avoiding pesticide use, and planting early forage, bees will be ready to fully capitalize on the coming spring nectar flow!
Feeding Bees in Spring
Even though the early spring inspection is supposed to be quick, be sure not to miss this crucial step.
While youre lifting frames to check for the queen and estimating how large of a cluster you still have, check out your bees food stores.
March and April are notorious for having unpredictable dearths that can starve a hive. Many hives still have to rely on the honey they have stored away. So, unless you left enough honey on your hive, you might find yourself needing to give them a little extra food.
To check their food stores, you can simply look to see if the food you placed in their hive when you were preparing for winter is still there. Another way to quickly check for food is to look at the tops of their frames to see if there is any capped honey (see picture).
If you end up determining that your hive does not have enough food, youll need to add some. We suggest using the Mountain Camp Sugar Method for feeding bees in spring.
The Mountain Camp Sugar Method
For late winter/early spring feeding, we recommend The Mountain Camp Sugar Method. This method uses dry sugar as a way to feed your bees. Dry sugar is an excellent bee food for the winter months and early spring because it doesnt freeze up. No matter how cold it gets the bees will be able to chip away at these tiny granules and feed on them.
Another benefit of using dry sugar is that it is able to pull moisture out of the air and soak it up like a sponge. Moisture can be an absolute monster when it comes to whether or not your bees survive winter.
Moisture has a tendency to gather under your inner cover and turn into freezing cold water. Once this water has gathered, it drips down on to the cluster below. Much like humans can suffer hypothermia from getting wet in the cold, the bees cant handle being wet in the winters cold and unforgiving environment either.
Heres a Pro Tip!
Heres a quick step by step informative video from Kamon Reynolds – Tennessees Bees on how he does the Mountain Camp Sugar Method.
- First he cracks open the hive and inner cover
- Then places some newspaper down directly on the top frames (some people spray the newspaper with a little sugar water to keep it weighed down and to help the bees chew through it)
- Next, he slowly pours a mountain of dry sugar on top of the newspaper
- Spreads the sugar to form an even layer over top of the newspaper
- Then he sprays it with a little water and closes up the hive
Perform a Varroa Mite Treatment
Its likely the last time you did a Varroa Mite treatment was back in January. In that mid winter mite treatment you werent able to open the hive, so you were limited to doing a blind (no count) treatment using the Oxalic Acid Vaporization (OAV) method. Although the OAV method is phenomenal for January when there is no brood in the cells and you cant open the hive, spring time offers quite a few more treatment options. To learn more about the OAV treatment method and how to do it you can check out our article called: Winter Beekeeping: Treating Varroa Mites & Feeding Bees In Winter (Click Here).
Although OAV is great for January, when it comes to the early to mid spring treatment wed recommend using Apivar. Feel free to do your own research on what would work best for you though.
Why, When & How to Use Apivar
Apivar is an extremely versatile and effective treatment against Varroa Mites. Listed below are some of the many benefits.
- Apivar is great for early spring because it isnt temperature sensitive. If it gets too cold or too hot it doesnt matter. The only caveat to this is that the treatment only works if your bees can come into physical contact with the strips first. This is why its not so great in winter when your bees are in a constant cluster
- While Mite Away Quick Strips (MAQS) can pause your queens rearing cycle and has been known (in rare occasions) to even kill your queen, Apivar wont mess with her brood rearing at all. This is very important for the spring build up
- You likely just used OAV a few months ago and alternating between medicines can prevent Varroa Mites from becoming resistant to the treatments
- The 42 days of Apivar are far more effective overall than the harsh 7 day period of a MAQS treatment
- Apivar is very safe for the bees, brood and humans to use.
- Apivar is user friendly while MAQS can cause problems if you dont apply it right
Heres a Pro Tip!
The Honey Bee Health Coalition strives to bring beekeepers, growers, researchers, government agencies, and many other groups into a unified conversation on improving the health of honey bees.
In this video, they cover how and when to use Apivar to help control the Varroa Mite population.
Feeding Bees for Spring Build up – When we start!
FAQ
How to feed bees in the early spring?
We recommend sugar water mixed 1:1 in the spring and summer and 2:1 (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) in the fall. We discovered last year it is best to add 1 teaspoon of protein powder to your sugar water. This helps gives the bees the protein they need. The board holds in the heat during the spring.
What is the 3 feet 3 mile rule for bees?
What to do with bees in the spring?
- Examining, cleaning, and storing hives that did not survive winter (dead out hives),
- Undoing hive winterization on surviving hives,
- Reversing hive boxes so brood is on the bottom,
- Replacing old, dark comb frames with new frames and foundation,
- Installing new bees, if any,
What is the 7 10 rule in beekeeping?