Sugar Syrup Calculator
This interactive calculator will give you the precise water-to-sugar ratios and volumes needed for different feeding purposes. You can select one of the common presets, or enter a custom ratio of your choice.
Measurement System
Choose between Metric (kg, liters) or Imperial (lbs, gallons) measurements.
Calculation Mode
Determine syrup based on desired dry sugar weight or final liquid syrup volume per colony.
analytics Recipe Results
Book_2 Brief explanation of ratios
1:1 Ratio (Thin Syrup)
Equal parts sugar and water. This ratio is often used in the spring to stimulate egg-laying by the queen, help bees draw out fresh comb, or feed new swarms, packages and splits.
1:2 Ratio (Even Thinner Syrup)
Much like the 1:1 syrup, this is a stimulating feed mostly used to encourage brood rearing, drawing out comb, or feeding packages and splits. It is said (dreaded words) that this ratio simulates a natural nectar flow.
2:1 Ratio (Thick Winter Feed Syrup)
Two parts sugar to one part water. This is the classic, heavy autumn syrup ratio. It is thick enough for rapid winter feed storage, requiring less effort for the bees to dehydrate and cap, which is the point of this late season feed ratio.
75%, Bifor-like Ratio (Very Thick Syrup)
Three parts sugar to one part water. This extremely thick concentration copies the concentration of commercial inverted syrups like Bifor. It is more difficult to dissolve properly, and lacks the benefits of invert syrups which save the bees some energy when taking the feed in. I would be interested to hear from any one who tries to feed this ratio.