Invertase for Beekeeping — Inverted Sugar Syrup for Winter Feeding
Invert sucrose syrup enzymatically instead of by boiling, so colonies get a feed close to what bees make themselves — without the HMF that heated syrup can carry.
Honey bees cannot digest sucrose directly. They invert it themselves using their own invertase, and over winter that work costs the colony energy it may not have to spare. Beekeepers therefore feed inverted syrup, where the sucrose has already been split into glucose and fructose.
The common shortcut is to boil sugar syrup with an acid. That does invert it, but heating sugars in acid also produces hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is toxic to bees at raised levels and rises further while the syrup is stored warm. Enzymatic inversion avoids the problem at source: invertase works at feeding temperatures, so no browning reaction is driven and no acid is added.
This page is for beekeepers and feed producers buying invertase in bulk — from a single 1 kg order for a club or a bee farm, through to repeat drums for a commercial feed blender.
Winter feed syrup
Invert sucrose syrup before autumn feeding so the colony does not spend stores inverting it during the cold months.
Spring build-up and nucs
Ready-inverted syrup for stimulative feeding, splits and queen-rearing nucs, where fast uptake matters more than storage life.
Fondant and bee candy
Invert sugar keeps fondant and candy boards soft and resistant to crystallising, so an emergency feed stays edible on the frame.
Commercial bee-feed blending
Enzymatic inversion for producers packing inverted syrup at scale, where consistent conversion and low HMF are specified by the buyer.
Product Specifications
| Form | Liquid and powder grades |
| Source | Saccharomyces cerevisiae |
| Grade | Food grade |
| Typical use | Sucrose syrup inversion for bee feed |
| Minimum order | 1 kg |
| Packaging | Foil pouch, drum, or IBC for syrup blenders |
| Shipping | Worldwide, documentation on request |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why feed inverted syrup instead of plain sugar syrup?
Bees have to invert sucrose themselves before they can use it, which costs the colony energy. Feeding syrup that is already inverted means less work for the colony at the point in the year when it can least afford it. It also stays liquid better in the comb, so it is easier for bees to take down late in the season.
What is HMF, and why do beekeepers worry about it?
HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) forms when sugars are heated, and faster in acidic conditions — which is exactly what happens when syrup is boiled with an acid to invert it. It is harmful to bees as levels rise, and it keeps forming while the syrup sits warm in storage. Inverting with an enzyme instead needs no heat and no acid, so the reaction that makes HMF is never started.
How much invertase do I need for a batch of syrup?
It depends on the grade you buy, the syrup strength, the temperature you hold it at and how long you can leave it. Rather than copy a dosage from elsewhere, run one small trial batch on your own syrup and time it. We will send the technical data sheet for the grade you are quoting on so you have a starting point to trial from.
Can I buy a small quantity, or is this only for commercial producers?
Our minimum is 1 kg, which suits a club, an association buying together, or a bee farm. Larger drums and IBC quantities are available for feed blenders. Tell us roughly how much syrup you invert in a season and we will suggest the sensible pack size.
Is this the same invertase that bees produce?
It does the same job — splitting sucrose into glucose and fructose — but ours is produced by fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) rather than coming from bees. It is a food-grade ingredient, and no bee-derived material is involved.
Get Invertase for Bee Feed
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