Herbal Bee Feed
Edited: Some commenters below with more experience with bees have said not to give bees honey as honey from outside the hive is known to cause infections. I've updated the recipe to exclude honey.
Recipe adapted from Spikenard Farm via Mountain Rose Herbs.
Servings: 2 quarts
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic white sugar
- 4 cups well or spring water
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chamomile blossoms
- 1/2 teaspoon dried nettle
- 1/2 teaspoon dried peppermint
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- pinch of good quality high mineral salt such as Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Prepare an infusion of the dried herbs in 2 cups of boiling water. Let herbs steep in water in a covered vessel for 10 minutes.
- In a 1/2 gallon mason jar, dissolve sugar and salt in 2 cups of warm water - not boiling.
- Strain herbal tea through a strainer or cloth and add tea to the sugar water.
- Stir everything together and let cool to room temp before feeding to bees.
Notes
Other herbs to add: yarrow, hyssop, fresh dandelion flowers, echinacea, rue, lemongrass, spearmint
Organic white sugar is suggested as succanat or rapadura contain too many organic compounds for the bees to digest easily.
A pinch of salt is added to aid in the digestion of the sugar