"By the way, someone asked about making your own, I found a recipe for it off bee source a year or two ago, I'll have to dig it up but it was not complicated ,involved a couple of ingredients to make the oils water soluble,but was pretty straight forward."

Back when I posted on BeeSource, so many people asked for the recipe, that I saved it as a Word documents and just pasted it periodically.  The text is below.  Note, I did not not develop the recipe, I found it on the Net and confirmed it in a few places.  There is a LOT of variability in how people make it.  Some add the EO in the final feed at the concentration I use for the concentrate.  Whatever floats your boat.  I think that, at the diluted amount below, it smells very close/just like HBH.  I am about to make up a new batch for fall feeding.  One thing I am trying differently this year is to use liquid lecithin.  I saw it on a supplement website, while looking for something else for my arthritic dog and bought a bottle.  The biggest problem I have in making up the concentrate is getting the lecithin to dissolve.  I think this will solve the problem.  

Note2: After using EO for several years, I do not think they help control Varroa.  I DO believe they stimulate bees to take syrup, and they also delay spoilage of syrup, reasons which are good enough for me.

Note3: I tried adding thyme oil to the mix this spring following a discussion here, but they bees did not take the syrup at all or took it reluctantly, which I have never seen before, when using EO.  So, I am not using it this fall.  Here is the recipe, with all my original language:



Probably worth posting this again. Note, I did not develop this recipe, it has been posted here many times.

"Essential Oil Recipe
Here is a recipe for EO concentrate.  You can make gallons for the price of a bottle of HBH.

- 5 cups water 
- 2 1/2 pounds of sugar 
- 1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules (used as an emulsifier) 
- 15 drops spearmint oil 
- 15 drops lemongrass oil 

Bring the water to a boil and integrate the sugar until dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved remove the mixture from the heat and quickly add the lecithin and the essential oils. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. This solution should have a strong scent and not be left open around bees. Cool before using

Use one teaspoon per quart of syrup.

SOURCE for ESSENTIAL OILS (there are many others)
LorAnn Oils, 4518 Aurelius Road, P.O. Box 22009, Lansing, Michigan 48909
(517) 882-0215 , 1-800-248-1302 , fax (517) 882-0507, 
E-mail [log in to unmask]
www.lorannoils.com

Someone else posted that first mixing the lecithin in a blender with some water will help disperse it. I still have 2 quarts in the fridge from last year, so have not tried that, yet."



That's it.

###################################
Bill Greenrose
Claremont, NH
+43.35687 +43° 21’ 25”
-72.3835   -72° 23’ 01”
CWOP: D5065
Weather Underground: KNHCLARE3
HonetBeeNet: NH001

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm