Sugar Paste for Bees: 800 kg of Winter Feed with Invertase Invertobee 73-Z

Here is the complete recipe for one 300 g package (a batch of ~800 kg of sugar paste, with syrup at 70% w/w). Ingredient prices are indicative and depend on your suppliers.

1. Weigh the ingredients. For ~800 kg of sugar paste: 140 kg of white granulated sugar + 60 kg of clean water (200 kg of syrup at 70% w/w) and 600 kg of powdered sugar.
2. Prepare the syrup. Pour the water into the tank, add the sugar and heat lightly to 40-50 °C until dissolved.
3. Add the enzyme. Measure 300 g of Invertase Invertobee 73-Z, dissolve it in a little water separately and add it to the batch, mixing well.
4. Wait for inversion. Leave it to act for 12-24 hours (12 hours at 40-50 °C): the syrup is 100% inverted.
5. Knead. In the mixer, combine the inverted syrup with the 600 kg of powdered sugar and knead until you obtain a homogeneous sugar paste.
6. Feed. Place 1-3 kg of sugar paste per hive: it lasts about 1-2 weeks.

The enzyme alone accounts for €0.075 per kg of finished sugar paste (€60 / 800 kg).

Compared to ready-made sugar paste (sold already packaged), Invertase Invertobee 73-Z lets you prepare the same sugar paste for a fraction of the cost — the exact figure depends on the ready-made product you compare against, and we do not publish a number without a verified price.

Q: How much Invertase 73-Z do I need for 800 kg of sugar paste? A: One 300 g package. It inverts 200 kg of sugar syrup at 65-75% w/w (e.g. 140 kg of sugar + 60 kg of water), to which you add 600 kg of powdered sugar to obtain ~800 kg of sugar paste. Dosage is proportional: for different batches, keep the same ratio.

Q: Do I need to heat to use Invertase 73-Z? A: Yes, light heating. The recommended recipe works at 40-50 °C for 12 hours, mainly to dissolve the sugar quickly; the operating range is 20-60 °C, with inversion times of 12-24 hours.

Q: When should I use sugar paste instead of liquid syrup? A: In two cases: when you visit your apiaries rarely (sugar paste lasts 1-2 weeks and does not ferment) and in winter, when below ~10 °C bees no longer take liquid feed.

Q: How much sugar paste do I feed per hive? A: 1-3 kg per hive, generally enough for 1-2 weeks.

Q: Does sugar paste prepared with 73-Z contain HMF? A: HMF stays below 5 mg/kg, thanks to enzymatic inversion at controlled temperature — unlike acid and heat inversion, which generates HMF in quantities harmful to bees.

Q: Is Invertase 73-Z safe for bees and suitable for professional beekeeping? A: Yes. All ingredients are food-grade for human use and the product has been in use since 2015 by thousands of professional beekeepers in 30+ countries.

Returns and guarantee

You have 15 calendar days from delivery to return an unopened, unused product in its original packaging. Return shipping costs are the customer's responsibility. Full details on the Returns and refunds page.

Shipping worldwide

We dispatch within 1-2 business days of payment confirmation.

European Union : Economy / post with transit time 5-10 business days, and cost of ~€10 for one package 

International : Economy FedEx/DHL with transit time 7-14 business days and cost calculated at checkout.

All destinations : Priority service with transit time 1-2 business days  and cost calculated at checkout.

Delivery times are estimates: they can vary due to customs procedures or especially remote areas.

We ship worldwide — customers in 30+ countries have used Invertobee since 2015.