Effect of Sugar Feeding on Apis mellifera L. colonies Build up and Storage during Dearth Period

In south-western region of Haryana, honeybees face unusually hot summer accompanied by floral dearth, cause major hinderance in profitable bee keeping. The temperature was recorded high as 48°C, thus, making difficult for honeybees to collect available food. Colonies with 10 frame bee strength at the start of dearth period were left with 8.1, 5.9, 4.2 and 3.0 frame bee strength after passing dearth period in case these were fed at 1, 2, 3 and 4 week intervals, respectively. Feeding Apis mellifera colonies with 500 g sugar syrup (1:1 sugar water) during dearth period (June to August) at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks interval proved beneficial. All the colonies fed with sugar survived during dearth period whereas all those colonies in control (without sugar syrup feeding) could survive till July and dwindled during August.