Free beekeeper sugar syrup calculator: pick a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio and a target volume to get the sugar and water you need, plus syrup per hive for your apiary.
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Enter your values and press Calculate.
Pick the syrup ratio, enter the total volume of syrup you want to make, and tell the calculator how many hives it must feed. It returns the white sugar and water you need, the total syrup weight, and the litres each hive gets. Ratios are by weight, which is the accurate way to mix syrup, and the densities used are the standard published figures at about 20 degrees Celsius: 1.23 kg per litre for 1:1 and 1.33 kg per litre for 2:1.
Syrup ratios are by weight, not by volume, because a cup of sugar weighs differently depending on how tightly it is packed. A 1:1 syrup is half sugar and half water by weight, so 10 litres of it weighs about 12.3 kg, made from 6.15 kg of sugar and 6.15 litres of water. A 2:1 syrup is two thirds sugar by weight, so 20 litres weighs about 26.6 kg, made from 17.73 kg of sugar and 8.87 litres of water.
The finished syrup volume is always less than the sugar and water volumes added together, because the sugar dissolves into the water. That is why this calculator works backwards from the volume you want, using density, instead of simply adding sugar and water volumes. Weigh the sugar if you can: it is the single most accurate step in the whole recipe.
Use thin 1:1 syrup in spring and early summer to stimulate brood rearing, help new packages or nucs get established, and draw comb. Bees use it quickly rather than storing it, which is exactly what a building colony needs. Use thick 2:1 syrup in late summer and autumn to build winter stores fast: it takes less work for bees to evaporate it down into stable, storable food.
Many beekeepers also use a middle strength, about 1.6 kg of sugar per litre of water, as their practical heavy syrup, because it dissolves more easily and crystallises less than a true 2:1 mix. If your 2:1 syrup keeps crystallising in cool weather, that 1.6:1 strength is the usual fix. Stop feeding liquid syrup once temperatures drop so low that bees will no longer take it, and never feed syrup while honey supers are on, because it can contaminate the honey crop.
Use only plain white granulated cane or beet sugar. Never use brown sugar, powdered sugar or raw sugar: brown sugar contains molasses that can cause bee dysentery, and powdered sugar contains cornstarch. For 1:1 syrup, stirring at room temperature is enough. For 2:1 syrup, use warm, not boiling, water to help the extra sugar dissolve, and never let the mixture boil, because overheating darkens the syrup and can make part of it indigestible or harmful to bees.
Stir until the syrup is completely clear, let it cool fully before putting it in the feeder, and mix only what your bees can take within a few days. Feed in smaller, regular amounts rather than one huge batch, which also reduces robbing risk from neighbouring colonies.
Fresh syrup is best. If you must store it, keep it in clean, sealed containers out of sunlight and use it within one to two weeks, discarding any that ferments, smells off or shows mould. In hot weather syrup ferments quickly, and a small amount of acid, such as a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or ascorbic acid per gallon, is a traditional way to slow that down. A thymol-based preservative is another option if you follow the product instructions and keep additives away from honey supers.
If thick syrup crystallises, re-warm it gently and stir to redissolve it. Crystallisation is most likely with true 2:1 syrup in cold conditions. Top feeders and large contact feeders handle thick syrup best: make sure bees have good access, low drowning risk and weather protection.
For 1 litre of 1:1 syrup you need about 0.62 kg of sugar and 0.62 litres of water. For 1 litre of 2:1 syrup you need about 0.89 kg of sugar and 0.44 litres of water. Scaling up, 5 litres of 1:1 syrup needs 3.08 kg of sugar and 3.08 litres of water, while 5 litres of 2:1 syrup needs 4.43 kg of sugar and 2.22 litres of water.
A 25 kg bag of sugar makes about 40 litres of 1:1 syrup, or about 28 litres of 2:1 syrup. If you feed 4 hives from a 20 litre batch of 2:1 syrup, each hive gets 5 litres. Always check the colony first: feed only when stores are actually light, and weigh hives or inspect combs to judge how much each colony needs before winter.
1:1 syrup is equal parts sugar and water by weight, about 50 percent sugar, used in spring to stimulate brood rearing and comb building. 2:1 syrup is two parts sugar to one part water by weight, about 67 percent sugar, used in late summer and autumn to build winter stores quickly.
By weight. A cup of sugar varies with how tightly it is packed, so volume measures are approximate. Weighing gives the same result every time: 1 kg of sugar to 1 litre of water for 1:1, and 2 kg of sugar to 1 litre of water for 2:1.
For 1:1 syrup, no, stirring is enough. For 2:1 syrup, use warm, not hot, water to help the sugar dissolve. Never boil the mixture, because overheating darkens it and can make it harmful to bees.
In practice, 2:1 is often shorthand for a strong late-season syrup, and many beekeepers make that as about 1.6 kg of sugar per litre of water because it dissolves easily and stores well. True 2:1 by weight is closer to 2 kg of sugar per kg of water and crystallises more readily when cool.
It depends on colony strength, existing stores and season. Weigh hives or inspect combs, and make sure each colony has adequate stores before winter, which varies by hive type and region. Feed in smaller, regular amounts to reduce robbing risk.
Fresh is best. If you must store it, keep it in clean, sealed containers out of sunlight and use it within one to two weeks. Discard syrup that ferments, smells off or shows mould.
No. Use only plain white granulated sugar. Brown or unrefined sugars contain minerals and by-products that can upset bees, and powdered sugar contains cornstarch.
Re-warm it gently and stir to redissolve it. Crystallisation is most likely with true 2:1 syrup in cold conditions, and switching to a 1.6:1 strength reduces the risk.
Generally no. Feeding during a nectar flow risks contaminating the honey crop. Remove supers before feeding, or use fondant outside the honey-producing period.