Place two or three frames adjacent to the brood nest in the hive. Feeders made of wood or plastic that cover the top of the hive work well and allow large quantities of syrup to be fed rapidly. Such feeders work best for hives on level ground. Feeding sugar syrup early in the spring is a strong stimulus for brood rearing. Colonies quickly become dependent on this food source, so feeding must be continued until weather conditions and floral sources allow the bees to survive without supplemental feeding.
Pollen is essential for the production of larval food and for brood rearing in honey bee colonies.
Inadequate pollen stores in the immediate area of the winter cluster hinder brood rearing and, therefore, the development of strong colonies, which is the key to successful beekeeping. Colonies found deficient in pollen stores early in the spring can have their pollen supplies extended by feeding either pollen supplements or substitutes early in March. A pollen supplement is a protein source that has some pollen added to it. The natural pollen attracts the bees so that they will make use of the protein source. A pollen substitute is a protein source containing all the essential nutrients for bees but no pollen.