As we get into the end of the season one needs to be thinking about positioning the colony with both population and resources to get through the winter, the most dangerous time for the hive.
Population is a careful balance...too many bees and the colony will race through their stored honey stores, fuel they need to stay warm. to few and they won't be able to create a large enough cluster to heat themselves or the brood.
So what to do...I always err on the side of heat and thus want my colony larger than most and my stores heavy with carbohydrates: honey and sugar syrup.
In order to encourage the take-up of lots of syrup, and to provide a nutritional boost, I provide a syrup with a little extra boost, as shown in this video. I know a 5-gallon bucket looks like overkill, but a frame feeder or hive top feeder can take lots of syrup so if you have more than one hive, it makes sense to make it in bulk.
They take it up and it isn't too hard.
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