Feeding Honey Bees Sugar Syrup
There are certain times of the year that you will need to feed your honey bees. Typically, most beekeepers feed their bees when they first get them, in the early Spring before the nectar flow begins, in the Summer during a dearth, and in the Winter when resources are not as readily available. Here in Northeast Florida, sugar syrup seems to be the most used technique when feeding honey bees, and this method enables you to add supplements and pest control products to the solution to better care for your honey bees.
SPRING / SUMMER
1:1 (volume) Sugar vs Water
FALL / WINTER
2:1 (volume) Sugar vs Water
Supplement implies that the food source is available to the colony in the field but is either poor quality or the quantity is restricted. Substitute suggests there is no pollen or nectar available to a colony and a complete substitute is required by the colony for brood rearing or survival.
Source: UF | IFAS Master Beekeeper Program