Homemade honey bee food is a great way to give your bees a treat. Just mix two parts sugar with two parts water. Sugar will not dissolve in water at room temperature, so bring the water to a rolling boil. If possible, use a sterilized spoon to mix the two parts sugar. It is important to avoid caramelizing the sugar, as this can make the solution toxic for bees.
Contents
Fondant Bee Candy
In Wedmore’s time, honey bees were often fed fondant, which was cast in moulds. These were then placed in a wooden frame with dimensions identical to the brood frame. This type of food was typically fed to bees during late winter or early spring. Nowadays, beekeepers also use liquid syrups, which are delivered to the hives in a frame feeder.
A one to two syrup mixture can be used to promote brood rearing and nectar flow. It consists of one part sugar to two parts water. Stirring is necessary to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture is cooled, it can be given to bees. You can store the mixture in a plastic zip-lock bag in the freezer.
Quick candy
If you want to create your own bee candy, here are some tips that will help you make it. First, you will need a wooden frame. It should be made from four 3/4-inch-thick strips of wood, with one inch of metal wire mesh spanning it. This will make it easier for the bees to climb up. You will also need to staple the wood strips together. Once the wood is stapled, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the candy board. You will also want to cut a small hole in it, so the bees will be able to chew through it.
You can purchase confectioners sugar from a local store, but it might not be as healthy as sugar made from pure honey. If you don’t want to buy confectioners sugar, you can make it at home by using regular granulated sugar and blending it into a powder in a blender. You can then use the powdered sugar for recipes.
Powdered sugar
Powdered sugar is one of the most essential ingredients for honey bee food. While commercial confectioners’ sugars have corn starch added to them, you can make your own by blending regular granulated sugar in a blender until it becomes a powder. You can then use this sugar in recipes.
Sugar is a form of carbohydrates that bees require to survive the winter. They prefer sugar that is liquid rather than solid. When it comes to making their own food, it is easy to see why bees would prefer liquid sugar. However, when it comes to making syrup, be sure not to boil it, because boiling it will change its chemical composition and make it indigestible for bees.
For homemade honey bee food, you can use either pure or unsweetened cane sugar, which is non-GMO and non-poisonous. If you cannot find organic or non-GMO sugar, you can also use beet sugar. However, you must be careful not to use sugar bricks that have been treated with ascorbic acid because they are not as digestible to bees.
Surgical spirit
If you are interested in making honey bee food on a budget, you may want to consider using surgical spirit instead of water. Surgical spirit is a solvent that can dissolve in the sugar syrup and prevent it from fermenting. It can also protect bees from bacteria. A teaspoon of this spirit in three gallons of sugar syrup should do the trick.
