4 Dollars’ worth of sugar can go a long way to preventing a colony collapse. In late winter sometimes we need to give the bees just a little insurance against starving. I typically will make up a sugar candy recipe. However, if you are short on time, you can just place some newspaper down and pour raw dry sugar on top. I also sprinkle a bit of pollen protein substitute.
Depending on the year, I will also take some unharvested honey frames and add them to the colony. However, this requires good weather to interact with the bees. I prefer to leave the bees alone as much as possible this time of year. Even on a nice warm day, it may be preferred to leave them alone. Breaking all the propolis joints or wax bridges is something that bees this time of year cannot readily repair. So, just adding sugar to the top 1 inch of the hive space is very easy and unobtrusive.
