Syrup recipes (who is right?)

[VermontHoneyBee]

I see a lot of references that are confusing.  I need to make 1-1 syrup and I have been told it is 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar but I also see references that it is 1 pound sugar to 1 pound water.  Which one is right?.  I have been making 1 pound water to 1 pound sugar and the bees are taking it.

Thanks

[gww]

When a pint of water weighs a pound and a pint of sugar weighs 90 percent of a pound and a pint is considered a pound, or close enough for most things, it is close enough to be one to one.
Cheers
gww

[VermontHoneyBee]

But a cup of water only weighs 1/2 pound.

[Bush_84]

Honestly it?s not that big of a deal. In general lighter syrup is in spring and summer. Heavy syrup is in the fall. Even then that?s not a hard set rule. I?ve fed hives heavy syrup in spring and summer. One nice thing about thicker syrup is that it lasts longer. The thinner stuff goes bad sooner. At the end of the day nectar comes in various concentrations. So bees will likely take whatever mix you put together unless there?s a good flow on and they don?t need it. Just eyeball it.

[Michael Bush]

> Which one is right?.

Both.  It's all the same.  A pint of sugar weighs about a pound.  A pint of water weighs about a pound.  The easiest is to go with the weight on the sugar package and pints of water.  I never make 1:1.  I always make 5:3.  If I could get it to dissolve I would make 2:1.  1:1 doesn't accomplish anything you can't accomplish with richer syrup and 1:1 does not keep very well.  2:1 keeps much better.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#ratios

[VermontHoneyBee]

> Which one is right?.

Both.  It's all the same.  A pint of sugar weighs about a pound.  A pint of water weighs about a pound.  The easiest is to go with the weight on the sugar package and pints of water.  I never make 1:1.  I always make 5:3.  If I could get it to dissolve I would make 2:1.  1:1 doesn't accomplish anything you can't accomplish with richer syrup and 1:1 does not keep very well.  2:1 keeps much better.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#ratios

Is this true even for feeding them to encourage frame drawing?.  You are saying 2 parts sugar to 1 part water to feed now.  Correct?

[sc-bee]

> Which one is right?.

Both.  It's all the same.  A pint of sugar weighs about a pound.  A pint of water weighs about a pound.  The easiest is to go with the weight on the sugar package and pints of water.  I never make 1:1.  I always make 5:3. If I could get it to dissolve I would make 2:1.  1:1 doesn't accomplish anything you can't accomplish with richer syrup and 1:1 does not keep very well.  2:1 keeps much better.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#ratios

Is this true even for feeding them to encourage frame drawing?.  You are saying 2 parts sugar to 1 part water to feed now.  Correct?

He is saying he feeds 5 (sugar): 3(water) all times he feeds (which he has stated in the past is not often). That is 5 of whatever sugar to  3 of whatever water.  That could be 5 five gallon buckets of sugar to 3 five gallon buckets of water. But since most accept a pint jar of water as a pound it would be 5 pints of sugar to 3 pints of water on a small scale.  He states he would feed 2:1 if he could get it to mix (he means mix without having to add a heat source).

Basically sugar ration and water mixture are hype. The bees could care less the ratio. The book given idea is they can use the 1:1 syrup in spring easier as it is diluted and they can use the extra water. The opposite for winter with 2:1 they have less to water to evaporate to store the feed. Regardless sugar mixture is not crucial enough to worry about the exact weight of water vs the sugar. If  feed is needed just mix it an use it.

[VermontHoneyBee]

Thank you

[Michael Bush]

>Is this true even for feeding them to encourage frame drawing?.  You are saying 2 parts sugar to 1 part water to feed now.  Correct?

Yes.  I've observed this for years and recently Randy Oliver experimented and came to the same conclusion.  Stronger syrup has the same effects as weaker syrup.  Either will stimulate comb building.  Either will stimulate brood rearing.  Either will simulate a flow.  If you can get 2 parts of sugar to dissolve in 1 part water, that's what I would do.  My hard water won't dissolve it, so I make 5:3.  That's the point where I can get it to dissolve and not rapidly crystallize on me.  I boil about 12 pints of water, dissolve a heaping tablespoon of Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in it and add about  20 pounds of sugar.  This makes about five gallons of syrup that keeps really well.

[iddee]

Nectar is said to be about 4 parts water and 1 part sugar. Any mixture with more sugar than that will make the bees happy.

[Beeboy01]

I mix eight pounds of sugar to about 3/4 of a gallon of water. It is thicker than 1/1 and keeps well without forming any mold. I usually get about 1 1/2 gallons of sugar water with the way I mix it.

[Hops Brewster]

But a cup of water only weighs 1/2 pound.

A cup of water is only a 1/2 pint, or 8 oz liquid, and weighs about 8 oz by weight.  So it still works!   2 cups of water equals 1 pint, 16 oz.  It also weighs about 1 pound, 1 oz.
"A pint's a pound the whole world 'round"

[Michael Bush]

>"A pint's a pound the whole world 'round"

It works for water, sugar, oil etc.  But not for honey...

[VermontHoneyBee]

I started today with 2-1.  All my hives are building a lot of comb, except for one.  I ended up using RO water (I have my own RO system) so I did not have any trouble getting it all dissolved.

Let's see what happens.  I am hoping that they continue to thrive and build more comb

Thanks