You can see its tongue flicking out to drink the syrup. Bees use a dark, hair-thin proboscis to suck up liquids. The drop of syrup will get smaller as the bee drinks. It’s amazing how much syrup a tiny bee can ingest in one sitting.
The bee will have a relaxed posture. Settled, legs planted, body low over the drop, antennae forward and moving. Feeds can last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, so be patient and never rush a bee to drink.
They rarely take flight straight after a feed. The bee grooms, wiping its face and antennae with its front legs, then warms up its wings, then flies.
Don’t hover too close while the bee is feeding, move it or try to top up the syrup. Keep a safe distance and let the bee act accordingly.
If it’s cold outside (below 10 to 13 degrees), the bee may need to warm up before it can feed. Move it to a sheltered sunny spot first and give it time.
How to tell if a bee is drinking sugar water
Bees look the same whether they’re drinking the syrup inside our bee revival kits or a homemade sugar water mix.
The surface you place your liquid on matters. On a leaf, a spoon or a bottle cap, the drop holds a dome, and you can watch it flatten. On paper or concrete, it soaks straight through, making it tricky to tell.
If you can’t see the proboscis, watch the antennae. A feeding bee keeps them moving.
Bees taste with their feet
Honeybees have taste receptors on their tarsi (feet). Contact with sugar triggers the proboscis extension reflex, so the tongue comes out automatically.
In practice, that means it’s best to place a drop in the path of a bee, not directly in front of it. The front foot touching is what initiates the bee’s feeding mode. This often explains why bees may be close to the syrup but never actually drink from it. No foot, no food.
If your bee just walks through the drop and completely ignores it is either perfectly full or has a different issue, like injury, cold, or the end of its natural life.