Hungry bees don’t make honey. Keep yours well fed.
£29
Most beekeepers know they should feed their bees sometimes. But knowing when, what to feed, how much, and how to spot a colony at risk of starvation? That takes real knowledge. This module covers everything about bee nutrition and feeding.
- 25 detailed video lessons on feeding and bee nutrition
- Practical guidance on when and how to feed—and when not to
- Step-by-step instructions for every type of feed and feeder
Get your bees’ nutrition right and you’ll have stronger, healthier colonies that are better at everything—including making honey.
This module is part of the The 14-Day Beekeeper (£149). Only buy this individual module if you’re specifically interested in this subject, without the context of the full course.
Why Buy This Module?
Feeding bees sounds simple. Done wrong, it can cause robbing, contaminate your honey, or leave your colony starving without you realising.
- You’ll know exactly when to feed. Not every colony needs feeding at the same time, and overfeeding brings its own problems. Learn how to assess your colony’s stores and make the right call for the right time of year.
- You’ll understand the options. Syrup, fondant, protein patties, open feeding, different concentrations for different seasons—this module explains what each one is for and how to use it correctly.
- You’ll be able to spot starvation before it’s too late. Learn how to heft and weigh a hive, what the warning signs look like, and how to act fast in an emergency when a colony is running out of food.
- You’ll get support. Got a question about your colony’s food stores? Reach out. We’re here to help you work through it.
Module Lessons
This module covers 25 specific topics. Each lesson gives you practical, experience-based guidance you can apply straight away.
1. Introduction
An overview of bee nutrition—what bees need to thrive, how feeding fits into your management routine, and why getting it right matters more than most beekeepers realise.
2. What Do Bees Eat
Understand the full range of what bees consume—nectar, pollen, honey, water—and why each plays a specific role in colony health and brood development.
3. Do You Need To Feed Your Bees
Not every colony needs feeding—and knowing when to leave well alone is as important as knowing when to intervene. Learn how to assess whether your colony needs supplementary feed.
4. When To Feed Your Bees
Timing is everything with feeding. Learn the key points in the beekeeping calendar when feeding is most likely to be needed—and when it can do more harm than good.
5. Different Types of Feed
An overview of the main feed types available—syrup, fondant, candy, pollen substitutes—and what each one is designed for.
6. Different Types of Sugar
Not all sugar is equal for bees. Learn which types are appropriate, which to avoid, and why the choice matters for colony health.
7. How To Make Sugar Syrup
A practical guide to making sugar syrup correctly—the right ratios, temperature, and consistency for different seasons and purposes.
8. 1:1, 2:1 or Invert
The different syrup concentrations explained—when to use thin syrup versus thick syrup versus inverted sugar—and the reasoning behind each choice.
9. Feeding – Different Types of Feeder
A comparison of the feeders available—frame feeders, top feeders, contact feeders, and more. Learn the pros and cons of each and which situations suit which feeder.
10. Poly Ashforth Feeder
A detailed look at the Poly Ashforth feeder—how it works, how to fill it safely, and how to use it as part of your autumn feeding routine.
11. How To Feed Bees Sugar Syrup
Step-by-step guidance on feeding syrup—how to fill the feeder, how much to give, and how to monitor uptake without disturbing the colony unnecessarily.
12. How To Feed Fondant
When and how to use fondant as a winter or emergency feed. Learn how to place it correctly and how to check whether the colony is taking it.
13. How To Feed Protein Patties
Protein feeding for spring stimulation or when natural pollen is scarce. Learn what protein patties are, when to use them, and how to apply them correctly.
14. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)
What feed additives are available, what they claim to do, and Laurence’s honest assessment of which ones are worth using and which aren’t.
15. Hive Alive To Feed
A look at Hive Alive as a feed supplement—what it contains, what it’s designed to do, and how to incorporate it into your feeding routine.
16. Open Feed
What open feeding is, when it might be used, and why it comes with significant risks that most beekeepers should avoid.
17. How To Avoid Robbing
Feeding can trigger robbing if done carelessly. Learn the precautions that prevent robbing and how to respond if it starts.
18. Feeding – The Problem With Overfeeding
More feed doesn’t always mean better outcomes. Learn what happens when you overfeed and why restraint is an important part of good nutrition management.
19. Feeding Your Nucleus
How feeding a nuc differs from feeding a full colony—the smaller space, the different risks, and what approach works best for getting a new nucleus off to a strong start.
20. Starvation
What colony starvation looks like, how quickly it can happen, and the immediate steps to take if you discover a colony in danger of starving.
21. Starving Bees
A real-world look at what a starving colony looks like in practice—what you’ll see on the frames and at the entrance, and how to respond.
22. Emergency Feeding
When a colony is critically low on stores, normal feeding isn’t fast enough. Learn how to feed in an emergency and what to expect.
23. How To Heft A Beehive
Hefting is a quick, non-invasive way to assess stores without opening the hive. Learn the technique and what you’re feeling for.
24. How To Weigh A Beehive
For more precise store monitoring, weighing gives you actual numbers. Learn how to set up a simple weighing system and how to interpret the data.
25. Weighing vs Hefting
A comparison of both methods—their accuracy, convenience, and which approach is most practical for different types of beekeeper.
Part of the 14-Day Beekeeper
This Nutrition module is one of 14 modules in the The 14-Day Beekeeper—our complete training program with 300+ video lessons, the Beekeeping Blueprint system, and 12 months of HiveQ membership.
If you’re new to beekeeping or just starting out, the complete course will serve you better. This module assumes you already understand colony management and basic inspection techniques. Without that foundation, some of the feeding decisions are difficult to apply confidently.
The full course builds that knowledge step-by-step, so by the time you reach nutrition, you’ll have everything you need to put it into practice.
What students say
Learn why beekeepers choose us.Learned so much
was watching your videos long before you started 14DBK. Your simple method of getting the information across and genuine love of beekeeping shines through. My wife and I have now finished the course but are still learning so much from the HiveQ community. The ability to return to relevant modules at any time is an absolute blessing.
All anyone needs to start beekeeping
14DBK – Bought when it first launched and it’s been invaluable. Books, although valuable, lack the ability to watch someone actually do what they teach. 14DBK and the youtube channels new direction to education is all anyone needs to start beekeeping.
A reference library
I loved this course, as a new beekeeper it has been very helpful and we certainly be a reference library going forward that I can go back to time and again, I can fully recommend this for newbies and experienced beekeepers
A wealth of knowledge
Purchased the 14 day beekeeping course for my mum for christmas. She loved it! And we are excited to be going into 2026 with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of bees that we didnt have before.
Why Learn From Laurence?
Laurence Edwards has been teaching beekeeping for over a decade. His YouTube channel has helped hundreds of thousands of people start beekeeping with confidence, and his Beekeeping Blueprint system helped him increase his own honey yields by 400%.
This isn’t theory from a textbook. It’s practical, tested advice from someone who keeps bees every single day and has made every mistake so you don’t have to.
