Candy boards or winter patties provide food sources for bees during the cold months of winter, making the difference between an effective beehive and one that dies by Spring. This one-time task should not be overlooked!
Recipes for creating these candy boards vary based on ingredients and methods of construction. Some require “cooking” the sugar, which could result in harmful compounds such as hydroxymethylfurfural.
Contents
Feeding your bees
Pollen patties are the standard way of feeding bees during winter; however, they’re high in protein and can quickly drain food stores in your hive. A candy board or sugar block offers more practical emergency or supplemental winter feeding solutions used by many Blooming Beeez Club members as an emergency or supplemental winter solution. You can make up a sugar mixture and place it between wood blocks or spacer shims before blocking off its lower entrance with either hardware cloth or plastic queen excluder with small holes punched with a nail. You could also line its interior with wax paper or newspaper to further prevent access.
This one piece candy board provides food, ventilation and insulation in one package to aid your beehive’s survival through wintering months. Available for 5 frame, 8 frame or 10 frame hives this feeder also features adjustable front entrance/ventilation so you can control air flow as necessary.
Insulation
Candy Boards provide an ideal way to feed bees during the winter, offering insulation, ventilation, and an entrance/exit port that helps ensure healthier bees during these harsh months.
Insulation is an integral component of any home or business. There are various forms of insulation, each offering its own set of benefits – cotton, wool, straw and mineral wool are among the more commonly used insulation materials, but finding one best suited to your individual needs should not be overlooked.
This candy board made of hardware cloth has an entrance hole for your honey bees to easily enter. Easy installation requires simply placing it inside your inner cover and closing its outer cover – fill this candy board with sugar cake, fondant or AP-23 patties to provide them with food over the winter season! Ventilation ports also help dissipate moisture as temperatures vary.
Ventilation
Many recipes for candy boards, fondant or sugar blocks vary in ingredients and method of construction, but all serve the same basic function of alleviating two winter stresses in the hive: food shortages and excessive moisture.
Sugar is a dry food source, yet its ability to absorb water makes it moist enough for bees to consume, helping wick up excess moisture from within the hive and thus decreasing mold and fungus growth. Furthermore, this makes it more difficult for Varroa mites to move around freely within it and suckle out bees from it.
To prepare a candy board, combine 4 pounds of sugar with one cup of water, mixing well until moist but not so moist that bees cannot access it. Transfer this mix onto your candy board and tamp down. Some people recommend placing wooden blocks over entrance holes and corners, although this restriction to access to candy and potentially introduces pollutants could compromise bee health.
Feed-i-lates
Candy boards allow you to provide your bees with large quantities of sugar without disturbing their colony, giving them access to it whenever needed throughout winter or if supplies run low due to harsh winters.
Create your own candy board using materials you already have lying around your shop or by upcycling old hive super boxes as candy boards. Some beekeepers even create candy boards using molds purchased from bee supply companies.
Our Candy Board features an upper entrance/exit, insulation, and ventilation ports all built-in, available in 5 frame, 8 frame or 10 frame equipment sizes with adjustable front/back vents that allow you to control airflow. Perfect for any hive! Provide extra food and insulation this winter season so your bees remain healthier overall.
