As our bees prepare for winter, it’s important to make sure they have the resources they need to survive the cold weather. Right now, there are few flowers available for foraging.
Because of this, we supplemental feed bee syrup to complement the Texas wildflower honey the bees have created. So that it doesn’t freeze, we also change the consistency of the syrup so there’s less water in it.
In addition, we’re feeding pollen patties to the bees. If you look at the photo above, you’ll see one worker bee with orange-colored (the color depends upon the pollen source) pollen she’s storing. Yet there’s not enough flowers blooming right now to support all of our colonies. So that’s why we provide pollen patties.
Is supplemental feeding necessary for honey bees to survive the winter? No. However, it does increase the odds that the weaker beehives will make it.