December 30, 2022 – Honey bees can be found foraging during warm spells even in the heart of winter. We noticed a few hovering around an open sack of deer corn in the garage. I pulled couple of frames of uncapped honey from the deep freeze and let them eat.
Foraging bees won’t want to sting, they’re just hungry. This feeding behavior can be mistaken for swarming. Swarming is usually springtime behavior and looks more like a large ball of bees..
In addition to sugars, water can also become short during the winter months. A shallow dish with a chop stick to prevent downing can help them out. Avoid feeding sugar water as this can stimulate the queen to prematurely lay eggs.
Protein, in the form of pollen, is usually stored in the hive and is difficult to supplement.
