Hungry Hungry Honeybees

My honeybees are ravenous! I also think they have done some serious reproducing since they came to live here! The hive seems to be WAY more full than before! They are also working very hard at pulling out wax in their new box. If you’re wondering how they do it, you can read about it HERE.

I feel so sorry for the poor things! The weather has gone down the toilet the past couple of weeks and they pour out of the hive every time the sun makes even a brief appearance…

I didn’t get close enough to show the whole cloud of bees buzzing around in the air!

Right now they are eating a quart jar of syrup EVERY day! That’s 2 1/2 cups of sugar a day, almost 9 pounds a week!

I filled this jar to the very top at 9am. This is what it looked like at 1pm. By 4:30, it was completely dry! 

I’ve been told that first year colonies eat a whole lot more than more established colonies do. I don’t know how people with multiple hives do it???

Since I fill the jar every morning, I have making enough syrup to fill the jar down to a science.

First measure out 2 1/2 cups of sugar into a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Stir in 1 cup boiling water and stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.

Add 1 1/2 cups cold water and continue to stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

That’s all there is to it! Now it’s just a matter of keeping up…