Sugar boards are an easy and cost-effective way to provide winter food sources for bees. You can purchase or make them yourself. Most candy boards feature dimensions similar to that of a hive box with access and ventilation holes at their front for easy feeding access.
To create a sugar board, combine boiling water with granulated sugar in an electric kettle until the soft-ball stage has been reached. Pour this sugary mix onto your candy board frame.
Contents
It is a source of food
Some beekeepers opt to place dry white table sugar on hive mats or in-trays under the lid, with medium and strong colonies, provided weather is suitable to allow bees to liquefy its crystals into nectar for digestion by the bees. This method of feeding works best during autumn and spring. Alternatively, wetting down dry sugar with water creates partial syrup feeding which also works well during this period.
Other beekeepers make candy boards, which are hive-sized frames with hardware cloth covering the bottom. These frames are placed on wooden risers with ventilation holes in front to allow bee access and ventilation. Beekeepers can purchase such candy boards from bee supply stores or create their own from old hive bodies or super boxes.
Candy boards can be useful in winter for providing bees with emergency food sources in case their honey stores run low, though low-protein winter patties should not be seen as replacements for pollen.
It is a source of protein
Sugar boards provide bee colonies with one of the best sources of protein during Winter months, helping them cope with low honey stores or disasters such as drought. Furthermore, this feed promotes production of comb. However, bee colonies will consume it quickly as this food source should only serve as short-term nutrition source.
Beekeepers can create their own sugar board by filling a large container with sugar syrup and drilling several holes in its lid. Or they may purchase pre-made sugar board frames designed to fit within hive boxes – these frames may even reach 2-3 inches high to store enough candy for bees to thrive.
Some beekeepers prefer vinegar to prevent mildew and mold growth in their hive, while others suggest mixing Honey B Healthy with water for moisture control, providing essential oils that the bees can benefit from absorbing.
It is a source of moisture
Sugar boards provide bees with winter food in case their colony can’t store enough honey or pollen stores for the winter season. While not essential, sugar boards may provide relief in emergency cases or extreme winter weather situations where honey stores run low.
Candy boards provide an excellent alternative to pollen patties, which contain high concentrations of proteins that may overstimulate colonies to use their own stores for survival during winter. Their lower protein content allows the bees to survive without depleting their own reserves.
Candy boards are pieces of hardware cloth or paper that hold wet sugar syrup and pollen patties (if applicable), placed directly above deep frames with an entrance drilled at their front for bees to enter through. Insulated, ventilated and featuring an upper exit/entrance to keep bees dry all winter, they’re the ideal winter feed board solution – premade ones are available commercially; alternatively you could construct one yourself from scrap wood.
It is a source of energy
Sugar boards provide your honey bees with extra energy in winter when their stores may become depleted, acting like an inexpensive form of insurance against their nectar stores being consumed quickly.
Some beekeepers create their own candy boards from wood or other materials, while others purchase premade forms made especially for them from bee supply companies. Others utilize an inner cover frame or super box as a shim to hold their board in place.
To create a candy board, mix sugar syrup until it reaches the “soft ball” stage and add pollen substitute or feeding stimulants if desired. Pour this mixture onto an existing candy board frame lining it with tissue paper or newspaper (newsprint attracts ants!). Place on hardware cloth with an opening in front for ventilation before allowing to set for at least several hours before placing it into your hive.
