Larry,
I go to the next step which is to feed "candy" which is 5 lbs granulated
 
sugar boiled with one pint of water to a little over 240F. I pour it
into
greased cookie pans, break it into chunks and put it on the inner cover.
 
Any
left over I freeze. Bees take it down fine. It also has "water" but a
little
less accessable than your slurry, but for Maine it is great because it
does
not seem to promote brood rearing too early- which can cause problems.
Since
I started using candy, I have not lost a hive that made it to March.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME
 
Larry Krengel wrote:
 
> I have fed dry sugar in a pinch.  But there is a lack of interest in
it
> among the bees... even though ants will come to collect it..  I often
> dump what is left when nectar becomes available.  I have found more
> interest in a slurry of granulated sugar and water.  With the
> consistency of paste, I place it on top of the inner cover around the
> vent hole.  In a recent try, I put both dry sugar and this slurry on a
 
> number of hives.  They consumed the slurry and left the dry sugar.
> Perhaps the water content makes it more usable.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Larry Krengel
> Marengo, IL  USA
> Home of Dr. C. C. Miller