mn_newbee · Minnesota, US · Beginners · Aug 26, 2026
How many kg of syrup to reach target hive weight? Show me the math, I have a luggage scale and anxiety
First year, two hives (single deep + medium each) in central Minnesota, and everyone says 'feed to weight' like the math is obvious. It is not obvious to me.
What I have: a luggage scale. I can tilt the hive and weigh each side. What I don't know: (1) what total weight I'm actually aiming for going into a Minnesota winter, (2) how much stored weight a litre or kg of 2:1 syrup actually turns INTO once the bees dry it down — surely some of it is water they evaporate off? (3) whether the luggage scale method (weigh back, weigh front, add them) is even accurate enough to matter.
Hive A came in at 32 kg total on my scale, hive B at 39 kg. How much syrup does hive A actually need? Walk me through it like I'm five, please.
#feeding#sugar-syrup#hive-weight#winter-prep
▲ 9 votes💬 4 replies✅ Solved
4 replies
QuebecBees · Aug 26, 2026 · ✅ Accepted answer
Quebec, same winters as you. (1) Aim around 55–60 kg total for that configuration at our latitude — if your club says higher, trust local numbers. (2) Rule of thumb: each kg of DRY sugar becomes roughly a kg of capped stores; the water gets fanned off. A litre of 2:1 carries just under 0.9 kg of sugar, so ~0.9 kg of stores per litre. (3) Back-plus-front slightly overstates true weight but it's consistent, and consistent is what matters.
So hive A needs ~23 kg more stores = ~25 kg of sugar = about 28 litres of 2:1. Sounds like a lot because it is. Start now, big feeder, don't dribble it in.
SkaneBees · Aug 26, 2026
QuebecBees' numbers match what I use in Skåne (our target is a bit lower, ~45 kg for that setup). One addition: bees need free flying weather to dry syrup down, so in Minnesota you want the bulk of feeding done by late September. A hive that takes 4 L a night with a rapid feeder finishes fast; an entrance feeder will still be at it in October.
VTBeeHannah · Aug 27, 2026
The 'weigh both sides and add' thing was a revelation for me last year too. One tip: mark where you put the hook on the hive and use the same spots every time, otherwise your week-to-week numbers wander and you'll chase ghosts.
mn_newbee · Aug 27, 2026
28 litres!! Okay. Ordered a 4 L rapid feeder for each hive and a frankly embarrassing quantity of sugar. Thank you QuebecBees, this is the first time the whole thing has actually added up in my head.