Feeding Bees in Late Fall and Winter

As temperatures drop into the 50s or lower and bees begin clustering, ensuring colonies have enough food becomes critical. Starvation is one of the leading causes of winter colony losses, and proper feeding can make all the difference between survival and collapse.

Determine Whether Feeding Is Necessary

Before offering feed, it’s important to assess whether a colony truly needs it. A strong hive with a deep box full of bees and 40–50 pounds of stored honey in the upper box typically has enough reserves to make it through winter. However, if the top box is only half full—holding 20–30 pounds of honey or less—the colony will likely need supplemental feeding.

It’s better to err on the side of caution and provide a little too much food rather than not enough. In late fall, bees are not raising much brood, so the risk of becoming “honey bound” or backfilling the brood nest is minimal.

Why Winter Feeding Is Different

Once daytime temperatures dip into the 40s and 50s, bees form tight clusters to conserve heat. In this state, they rarely move far from the cluster to access food. Feed that’s placed too far away—such as in a division board or entrance feeder—will often go untouched. During cold months, food must be positioned directly above the cluster so the bees can reach it without breaking formation.

Feeding Options for Cold Weather

1. Using a Boardman Feeder as a Top Feeder

Remove the outer cover, leave the inner cover in place, and add an empty deep box on top. A Boardman (entrance-style) feeder filled with syrup can then be placed next to the inner cover hole. If the top box is full of bees, they’ll come up, drink the syrup, and return to the cluster.

However, if the bees are clustered in the bottom box, they won’t travel that far. For this reason, some beekeepers prefer to remove the inner cover completely and place one or more Boardman feeders directly on the top bars before replacing the empty box and lid.

This method works but isn’t ideal.

2. The Resealable Plastic Bag Method

An easier and more effective method involves using resealable plastic storage bags. Simply fill the bags with syrup, lay them flat on top of the frames, and carefully poke several small holes in the top using a hive tool. The syrup won’t leak if the holes remain above the liquid line. Bees crawl up, feed through the holes, and carry the syrup back down into the comb.

Multiple bags can be placed at once, and this setup allows bees to feed without traveling far. It’s also compact—no need for a full extra deep box. A shallow rim or inverted sugar brick tray can provide just enough space above the frames.

3. Sugar Bricks

For many beekeepers, sugar bricks are the preferred winter feed. They can be placed directly on top of the frames, covered by a rim or feeder tray for space. Sugar bricks are ideal for several reasons:

• They provide both carbohydrates and a small amount of protein.
• They include essential oils for added bee-health benefits.
• As a dry feed, they absorb condensation inside the hive, helping to prevent cold moisture from dripping back down onto the cluster—a common cause of winter losses in colder regions.

In late fall and winter, when small hive beetles are not a major concern, sugar bricks offer a clean, convenient, and low-maintenance feeding option.

Rearranging Boxes for Better Access 

If most bees are clustered in the lower box and the top box contains little honey, it’s fine to reverse the boxes so the cluster sits closer to available feed. This shouldn’t be done if the upper box is already full of honey, but when reserves are light, moving bees upward ensures they can access food placed above them more easily.

Best Practices Recap

• Confirm that feeding is necessary by checking stored honey levels.
• When in doubt, feed rather than risk starvation.
• Always place feed directly above the cluster in cold weather.
• Use sugar bricks for convenience, moisture control, and balanced nutrition.
• Consider resealable plastic bags for liquid feeding when temperatures allow.
• Avoid entrance and division board feeders during winter; they’re too far from the cluster.