Free tools
Sugar syrup calculator
How much sugar and water to mix for 1:1 or 2:1 bee syrup, by the gallon or by the number of hives.
25.7 lbsugar, about 7 4 lb bags
3.1 galwater
5 gal1:1 syrup when mixed
Why less water than you'd guess
Ratios are by weight: 1:1 is a pound of sugar to a pound of water, and 2:1 is two pounds of sugar to one. Sugar takes up room as it dissolves, so mixing a gallon of sugar into a gallon of water gives you more than two gallons of thinner syrup. These amounts are worked back from the finished syrup, so you get the volume you need at the right strength.
Per-gallon reference
| Syrup | 1:1 sugar | 1:1 water | 2:1 sugar | 2:1 water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 gal | 5.1 lb | 0.6 gal | 7.4 lb | 0.4 gal |
| 2 gal | 10.3 lb | 1.2 gal | 14.8 lb | 0.9 gal |
| 5 gal | 25.7 lb | 3.1 gal | 37 lb | 2.2 gal |
| 10 gal | 51.3 lb | 6.2 gal | 73.9 lb | 4.4 gal |
Mixing tips
- Use plain white cane or beet sugar. Brown sugar, molasses and powdered sugar with starch can make bees sick.
- Heat the water until hot, take it off the heat, then stir in the sugar. Never boil syrup: it caramelizes into compounds that are toxic to bees.
- Feed 1:1 in spring to encourage brood and comb building, and 2:1 in fall so bees can store it with less work.
- Mix only what the bees will take in a few days. Syrup ferments and molds, faster in warm weather.
Hive Complete
Log every feeding, and see what each hive has taken
Join the waitlist. The first 500 get Beekeeper free for a year.