In a message dated 1/2/01 10:36:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< I lost the recipe for hard bee candy,for winter feed, and would like to
make
 some up. I made some once that was white and like brittle. Sure appreciate
 the help. >>

   That's a lot of work. And for what?  If you overheat it while mixing, you
can carmelize the sugar and make it more or less indigestible for the bees.
Let the bees make it.

   Make up a feeder rim, around 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Fill it with dry
granulated sugar, with a couple layers of newspaper to hold it from falling
thru. Make sure it is directly above the cluster. The excess moisture
evapporated by the bees, will concense and wet the sugar, and it will harden
into a block. The bees, tasting the sweet newspaper will open it as needed
and consume the sugar. It can be replenished, as needed, but always use a
little more newspaper to keep it from falling thru the frames. Sugar on the
floor of the hives may not be used, it may even be thrown out.

   This not only saves your labor, it helps the bees dispose of a waste
product that can be dangerous to them in winter - the excess moisture that
often condenses or forms frost on the bottom of the cover. Actually they
don't dispose of it; they recycle it.

   You can use the same setup to feed a small amount (one gallon or so) of
heavy syrup. In this case make sure the newspaper is at least six layers
thick and makes a continuous bowl, ie,  put the newpaper in after the rim is
placed. The reason for the multiple layers is to prevent them from chewing
thru the paper too soon, and spilling the syrup. It has to seep thru. In this
case use only heavy syrup; we use straight HFCS straight as it comes from the
drum. Thin syrup will soak thru too fast.

    Excluders are not required, but I place one under the newspaper when
feeding this way. The feeders may be still on in spring and the bees will
remove the sugar and fill the rims with burr comb. This can mean a solid
feeder full of drone brood. By using the excluder, it still  mean a feeder
rim full of burr comb, but it will be spring honey, instead. This can be
removed as one piece with the excluder as the bottom, and put on a nuc that
needs feeding.


Dave Green
Ill equipped for the real world, I became a beekeeper.

The Pollination Home Page:  http://pollinator.com