How and when to introduce complementary feeding, feeder production
What will you learn here?
- When, why, and most importantly, what to feed bumblebees to avoid harming them
- How to make safe feeders for the hive
- Instructions for hive modification – unique feeding system without disturbing the nest
- Storage, mixture recommendations, products
Last updated: 18/04/2026
Weaning
The basic principle is feed only when short:
- on spring / autumn days, if it gets cold and mother needs support
- in a time when born new mothers, which in the nest they feed and quickly consume all available supplies Pyl a nektar
Here are some suitable materials that can be recommended.
The most natural thing for bumblebees is syrup – sugar solution. These most resemble nectar, which they collect from the chalices of flowers.
I am very suitable, pure fructose. This is available, for example, in pharmacies as Fruktopur. Its aqueous solution with white beet sugarsucroseIt then looks into the feeder. However, the fructose in the feeder spoils quickly in the heat. Although a stabiliser can be used, this means more chemicals in the food, and that is not good.
Do not use brown cane sugar!
To use sugar solutions used by beekeepers. The stabilizers are already present here. They don't bother the bees, and they shouldn't bother bumblebees either. But here We have no experience And so we are careful.
It can also be used successfully sweet dough. are well-suited to these doughs that beekeepers use.
Such a dough / paste can be easily placed in the hive, for exampleof a small bird feeder made from a PET bottle cap. For larger quantities (suitable for feeding queen bee larvae), it is suitable bowl. The stabiliser is present again here, but according to our observations, it has no negative effects on bumblebees.
You can also feed it with sawdust., but it should be pollen fresh, or frozen. Bees will not take pollen fed on the substrate, or they will not give it to the larvae. An exception may be feeding queens, which will take pollen even from a dish on the substrate.
Collect pollen from the guard flap And store it!
Bee feeding – Fruktopur
Internet Photo
APIMANA VITAMINS
Photo: Seller
Pyl a dózy na jeho ukládání
Why do bumblebees lose their pollen baskets?
Sometimes pollen baskets are so large, when landing on the garlic, or during passage under the flap (plastic part of the protective cover), the workers remove from the pollen basket. The pack will fall on the Czechs, or get stuck under the flap.
A lot It depends on the size of the pollen grain and its moisture content. The flap is often rough and tearing the veil helps. We will cover this in a separate chapter about the flap, which is available HERE.
Completely It's impossible to prevent the loss of masks.. Just one foraging worker bee with a damaged pollen basket is enough to have a pile of lost pollen bunches on the hive entrance.
Why collect pollen baskets?
Pollen is for bumblebees fromprotein and lots of other important substances. It is therefore a shame to leave pollen unused.
At the same time, pollen masses on garlic attract flies and other insects. But the main thing is the pollen A mask caught under the flap is preventing the flap from closing. and its correct functioning.
Therefore, the protective flap needs to be cleaned regularly and If possible, collect and store pollen baskets..
If you are not allergic, try the pollen basket. Perhaps you will recognise which flowers the pollen comes from. You will learn more about pollen in the chapter which preparing.
How to store pollen pellets?
Pollen baskets are best collected if they are fresh and won't dry out. Just pull them off with tweezers from the garlic/flap to the cap of a PET bottle. My finger then lightly flew Press do the bottom, so it doesn't fall out and dry.
Then insert the PET cap into a small sealable jar and right after collection Put in the freezer. The dough is preserved by frost and can remain fresh until the following year.
The sealable container will prevent the smell from the fridge from getting into the pollen. Every evening Top up the lid when cleaning. Once the lid is full, collect in another lid.
Jak použít nasbíraný pyl?
The collected pollen is given to the bumblebees in their nest – as close as possible to their other stores.
Forcing the insertion of pollen will be explained in the chapter found HERE <We are preparing.
Lost pollen baskets on a beehive entrance
Photo O. Hercog
Lost pollen baskets on the protective flap's cover
Photo O. Hercog
Cork in the cap of a PET bottle
Pliers in the cap of a PET bottle in a jar
Photo O. Hercog
A maggot in the cap of a PET bottle in a jar
Photo O. Hercog
Containers for storing frozen pollen
Internet Photo
Feeding bumblebees APIINVERT
Internet source
Feeding bumblebees – sugar paste
Internet source
We are feeding the bumblebees
Photo: Ála Ungerová
Feeding tube – a unique system for feeding within the beehive
Advantages:
- Using a pipe, we can easily feed the primer directly to the corridor outlet without having to interfere with the lining.
- The supplementary feed is therefore very easily available to the bumblebees, and it is also possible to feed the queen very well during the solitary phase without disturbing her in any way.
- The bumblebees are not disturbed in any way, the nest and lining remain intact, the bumblebees will always find the supplemental food, even if they are weakened.
- Feeding is easy and safe, can be done at any time, and the supplementary feed does not get soiled by the bedding or bee waste.
- We can feed them with both dough and sugar solutions, and even in combination.
Feeding female bumblebees in a feeding tube Photo Jan Frantl
A post-season view
Photo of Karel Kučera
Production of feeding tube:
- Next to the exit from the hive (or the end of the passage) we place a vertical pipe with a diameter of at least 40mm (ideally an HTEM pipe 40mm) against the wall.
We'll choose the length so that the end is roughly under the edge of the inner lid (roof, observation window).
From there we cut off approx. 1/2 to 2/3 of the pipe, creating a kind of semi-cavity. A height of 5-6cm (by eye) is sufficient. - We fix the tube to the wall and the bottom of the hive, preferably with hot glue (after the season it can be easily torn off and cleaned), an L shape can be made from wire to create a kind of leg, which will increase stability at the cut-out.
Other methods are also possible, e.g. fastening with wire, depending on the possibilities of the hive. However, the inside of the tube must remain free. - The top of the pipe is covered with any cap so that light does not enter the pipe and air does not unnecessarily flow through it. With the HTEM system, a plug for HTEM DN50 can be chosen.
A complete simple feed kit
Feeding tube with inserted feeder
A simple feed tube system
Correct placement in the hive
Correct pipe placement
Location in detail
Making a bird feeder:
- From stronger wire and a lid, we will make a feeding attachment. Very simply, we will bend the wire at the bottom to the length of the lid's base, attaching it from underneath with hot glue. We choose the wire length to be slightly longer than the height of the corridor. We then bend the end of the wire to create a loop, ensuring the entire wire fits into the tube.
Other options are also available; you can find inspiration in the photos below. - If we feed it dough, we put it directly into the lid
- If we are feeding with solutions, we will use a 20ml syringe. We will cut off the finger grips of the syringe plunger so that the entire syringe fits comfortably into the tube.
- We leave the lower syringe attachment for needles, but seal it with hot glue, plasticine, etc.
- Drill a single hole of approximately 3mm diameter just above the bottom of the syringe, above the needle attachment port.
- The whole syringe is placed into the cap on a wire. The feeding opening on the syringe should face the cutout in the tube. The cap thus ensures stability and catches any dripping solution. Bumblebees have no problem taking solution from the syringe through the cap, or from drops that have fallen into it. Dough can also be placed in the cap, and the syringe can be stuck in it. Both feeding methods can thus be combined.
Production video:
Simple feeder
Feeder set for tubing
Approach for bumblebees
HiTech mount Ondřej Hercog
HiTech Lid Holder
HiTech holder by Ondřej Hercog
Hinges Vít Cach alternative
Feeders
- Make a feeder from a plastic test tube (a small urine sample tube)
- On the side near the cap, drill a 2-3 mm diameter hole into the test tube.
- Fill the test tube completely with the solution and seal it with a stopper
- Secure the test tube in a piece of polystyrene, or attach a clothes peg to it so it doesn't tip over
- use the test tube as described
- Make a small opening, approximately 1 mm in diameter.
- Fill the test tube completely with the solution and seal it with a stopper
- The sugar solution will leak into the lid's thread and the bumblebees will drink it there.
- place the test tube in the corner so that it does not touch the lining – the solution would leak
PET bottle cap
- use the cap of a PET bottle
- Stuff it with cotton wool
- the sugar solution is not absorbed – the bumblebee will not get wet and the contents of the lid will not spill
- If you don't have cotton wool (lining can also be used), use the cap of a PET bottle and put just a little solution in it.
Bumblebees PLUS – Test Tube Feeder – Slanted Position
Photo O. Hercog
Plastic test tube feeder
Photo A. Votavová
Test tube feeder – tilted position
Photo O. Hercog
– Test tube feeder – vertical position
Photo A. Votavová
.
Stone bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) on a feeder
Photo O. Hercog
Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a feeder
Photo O. Hercog
Bird feeder made from a PET bottle cap with a cotton wool insert – SUITABLE
A feeder made from the cap of a PET bottle, not completely filled – USABLE
Bowl feeder UNSUITABLE
Bird feeder from a complete PET bottle cap – UNSUITABLE
If you attach PET bottle capPut it on a mat, it will hold well on the liner – it won't tip over or sink. Just glue it on with superglue, or double-sided sticky tape onto a small board.
PET bottle lid feeder – honey-sugar dough
Photo: O. Hercog 2022
.
PET bottle lid feeder – honey-sugar dough
Photo: O. Hercog 2022
PET bottle cap feeder – honey-sugar dough – mother is fed
Photo: O. Hercog 2022
Feeder from a PET bottle cap – honey-sugar dough – a queen bumblebee is being fed
Photo: O. Hercog 2022