Easy To Make Candy Boards For Honey Bees

It's that time of the year for northern beekeepers to make sure their bees have plenty of food. By this time of the winter the bees have worked their way through the hive eating away at food stores. With spring around the corner we need to do our part to keep them alive. ➡️🐝Purchase My Beekeeping Paperback Book Here (Amazon): beekeep.blue/book
This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to complete. Afterwards let candy boards cool for an hour before moving them. Wait for a day in at least the mid 40's before adding candy to colony. I had to add empty supers to each hive to allow room for the candy. Now go feed your bees.
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[@rabidavid614]

Make it easy on yourself, forget the cooking of the sugar and water, just add a little water with a tablespoon of lemon juice to the sugar, until it clumps together, then please in your moulds / plates and leave in a warm place over night. In the morning it will have solidified. Less energy needed, and cheap to make.

[@joer5627]

Thanks Jason. With all the rain this past month, what I thought was plenty of honey and pollen is about gone. Made small pollen patties today and will make sugar cakes tomorrow. Time to feed the bees to get them through March

[@susanbrandauer9399]

Just made these and they came out great! Perfect for me as a hobbiest with 4 hives. Thank you for the video 🙂

[@JCsBees]

Great job!

[@jkgkjgkijk]

I just ask my girlfriend to stick her finger in the hive. She's so sweet that after five seconds they are full until spring.

[@gene-sloca]

Awesome video, appreciate your advice

[@jenniferwilliams4447]

Using the paper plates makes it so easy

[@jamesslemp6490]

I go a step further and use 3 cups of water to 10 lbs of sugar heat mix to 240 on candy thermometer remove from heat let cool to 200 then with hand mixer mix till it turns white then pour it in any type mold you want to use and let it harden and your set.

[@JCsBees]

@James Slemp Thanks for sharing your approach.

[@mileawayhoney2802]

quart water 10 pounds sugar tbs vinegar essential oils/ maybe some protean powder bring to 240 degrees/soft boil for 15 minutes watch it like a hawk for boil over cool down to 180/ liquid will be clear put it into kitchen aid mixer/ super hot be careful when the liquid turns white pour into pans lined with wax paper mold it into bars. it will be super flexible

[@tialoalanikobos713]

great video, I am here in Florida not to much winter

[@gene-sloca]

How many patties does it make?

[@richiecook5571]

bees huddle in little balls vibrating and moving from the center out and back in again to keep warm in winter. the center of a large enough bundle of them can reach pretty high temperatures. some bees combat bugs that are too big for their stingers and bites in a similar fashion essentially cooking it alive in what some call a death sphere. This is also why they need honey for winter. the vibrating and moving tires them out so they end up needing a lot more food.

[@426superbee4]

Cool, i made 4 Frame Feeders out of a old hive body, been working out great. The 4th one was less than 3" i made it as a double screen top to joins colonies rather than using newspapers with a doors and entrance to open and close it up too put queen less colonies togather

[@gene-sloca]

Do you still have the heat on?

[@KatrinMelite]

thanks, it was easy to follow

[@bradgoliphant]

Could I add a little dry pollen sub into mix as well, as well as a small amount of white vinegar?

[@JCsBees]

I don't see why you couldn't. Interesting idea!

[@AhmadAbdi]

Hi Jason, i am guessing you keep the heat to low during the process?

[@mikemabry9543]

Do you add anything other than sugar, like honey b healthy, or pollen?

[@JCsBees]

I do not add anything, if I did it would be Nosevit plus to treat for Nosema. I used to use Honey B Healthy during the spring and summer and noticed it caused robbing. The scent is so strong every bee in the area can smell it. I think there would be a lot less robbing during the winter but on a warm day you may have issues.

[@baileyroddy4313]

Can you use styrofoam plates?

[@JCsBees]

Yes

[@357lockdown]

Wow, just watching you mix in all of that sugar, I feel myself slipping into a diabetic coma...lol.

[@iglooturtlerocket]

lol me to:)... Then i remembered diabetes isnt caused by sugar haha:)

[@ZeRandomGamers]

Great video! I am going to start beekeeping this year and I am going to start planting flowers and other plants for the bees soon so I was wondering if you had any advice for what flowers bees like the most?

[@JCsBees]

ZeRandomGamers Let me start by explaining how this works. If there are 25 flower blooming in your yard and the property across the street has 3,500 dandelions blooming. The bees will totally skip over your flowers. This is because they pick the strongest source of food. So do get discouraged if they fly right over your flowers. From time to time they will still visit small flower patches. I planted a lot in my yard for them to work. If you are into herbs bees will work most of them. I planted a herb garden (Basil, Rose Mary, Oregano, Lemon Balm). I also planted several fruit trees over the last couple years. Now as far as flowers bees I planted Cone flowers, Milkweed, Buck Wheat, Butterfly Plant, Live Forever Plant, and I am working to start a you pick blackberry patch (thornless). Those are a few that I have planted. If you do a Google search on " Honey bees plants". You might be surprised how many plants bees like. Good Luck and keep me posted!

[@yerouttaheah]

Jason Chrisman Thanks for the videos, Jason. They are all easy to watch and understand. Cosmos are great, because they bloom right through to frost, and the bees love them.

[@yerouttaheah]

ZeRandomGamers Bees can fly up to 4 miles to find food (2 miles is more common), and they will find a source that gives them the best return for their effort. If you have room, I think early bloomers like fruit trees are great because it gets them off to a good start. Can I suggest that when you are driving around, you kind of keep track of what's blooming in your area?

[@Shoim]

Just to have an idea; the bees have to visit about a million of flowers for a pound of honey.

[@RaySarasin]

@@yerouttaheah My hives are in my home town a small town anyway over 450 homes here and 3/4 of them have many fruit trees in there yard. I found this year it kick started my year off for honey trees i found here Chockcherry, saskatoons, pincherries, crab apple trees, cherry trees, rasberries, straw berries, Apple trees to name a few off the top of my head.

[@W45Jasper]

Do you use protein powder mixed in to the sugar?

[@JCsBees]

No! That would cause the bees to raise brood and I don't want that over winter.

[@karenulrich5930]

I added a tsp of white vinegar and 1 tsp of Honey B Healthy to my mixture.

[@davidsachs4883]

16 fluid oz are a pint, 8 oz is a-cup

[@christopherkarki3371]

Hi I am christopher Karki from india. I am a beekeeper and since 17 years of my life I am involved in beekeeping. And last ten years I have not feed sugger to the honey bees, I understood that feeding sugger is not good for their health. And in the same time you will destroy the honey quality. Instead of feeding sugger, you have to save some honey and feed them in winter. that's What I do, I mix the honey with water and feed then throughout winter.

[@aarongriffin81]

The FURTHEST north part of India is about as cold as TEXAS, USA. You know nothing about WINTER.

[@chrispesklo5115]

Hello Christopher - You're partly right, it is best not to serve sugar to bees, but only if they have nothing else, although it doesn't hurt them. In cold climates, it is absolutely needed to feed bees in late winter (February/March) in many areas in northern US. I would talk to some local beekeepers and listen to what they say about winter feeding. As every beekeeper will tell you: "All beekeeping is local". Beekeeping in India will be very different than beekeeping in this video. Take care... Chris, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

[@vwflyer1]

@@aarongriffin81 you should have been more polite and helpful, not arrogant.

[@natserog]

Hey Jason....have you heard of adding apple cider vinegar and bringing temp up to 242 degrees then pouring in molds? Sugar bricks

[@JCsBees]

I haven't heard of it being used with sugar bricks but I have used it with sugar syrup. It keeps it from molding so fast. Plus there is minerals in vinegar that bees like from what I have read.

[@tcwaterdrill]

I buy sugar in the 4lb bags in June. Hang them up in my shop and by January they are hard as a rock. I then move them into the top of my hive feeders and remove the paper wrap, done.

[@JCsBees]

lol That is so simple, I need to try that. Sure seems like a big time saver. Does a 4 pound block of sugar last very long?

[@bfjfhgjfbgnb1404]

Czy ocet jabłkowy byłby dobry?

[@ElocinAlways]

I had found 1 recipe 1 cup water to 4 cups sugar. I now have 2 batches( in case it was my error 1st try) of caramel texture. Wish I had come here first ill try to add the taffy (4 cups, to your but 6 cups) worst case, I dissolve it all down, make spring syrup bee feed.

[@amyclift4523]

I just put a few cups of sugar and a bit of water together and put them on the paper plates. I like making sugar mud cakes. Sometimes I throw in some bee paddy bits in the middle like a tootsie pop surprise! Some people just put the whole bag of sugar with a few slits in it ontop of the crown board hole in a box with a lid. Never got that lazy yet but coming soon. lol

[@jlz1952]

Mande in Brazil mui bom!

[@randywashburn377]

Hey Jason do you think it be OK to add some essential oil's like a HBH

[@JCsBees]

+Randy Washburn It's my experience that any scent at all coming from sugar syrup causes robbing. So if you do add any keep a close eye on them. I no longer add anything except Nosevit plus.

[@mothsworth5791]

you made me hungry

[@TechMan-sl5gf]

Still too cold to open the hives here. Avg temp has been around -3F/28F.

[@JCsBees]

TechMan1219 I understand that. Since I had to add a empty super to allow room for the candy. I just went ahead and did it on a day it was 15 degrees. I peeked in yesterday and the bees were eating them. So I must have worked fast enough that it didn't bother them. I did add a rock to lid since I broke the propolis seal. I was worried they would run out of food. This is about the time of year colonies dies from starvation. So I rolled the dice and feed in the cold.

[@fionmor4893]

can you put essential oils into this too?

[@JCsBees]

If you like but I do not

[@randomthings5854]

That's how much sugar I put on my rice Crispies

[@JCsBees]

RANDOM THINGS Have you ever tried honey on your rice crispies instead of sugar?

[@guzmateamskullleader7537]

+Jason “Beeman” Chrisman omg I have fresh honey I need to do that

[@cecilcrump2340]

RANDOM THINGS m

[@walkerlone]

Seems like a bit of trouble to get sugar into the bees. Is there a special reason to not just pour the powdered sugar into a bowl or other container and place that above the frames?

[@JCsBees]

I would never feed powdered sugar to bees. You only want cane sugar. It can be some work to feed them in the winter but if they need it then you must do it or they will die.

[@dabprod4962]

How long does it take to set-up? Do you just sit the paper plate with the sugar on them out on the counter top?

[@JCsBees]

It can take a day or 2 to get hard and yes leave it out on counter. You can also just lay a piece of newspaper across the top of the frames and pour a layer of dry sugar on it. As the bees fan moisture out the top entrance the sugar will absorb it and create candy board. That is called "Mountain Camp Method", look it up! I have a video on it also.

[@dabprod4962]

Thanks

[@mothsworth5791]

can i have one

[@sturbs87]

Never boil your water!!!!

[@kccarrtheoregonhillbillyhi4803]

and you do this because???.... the running low on honey???

[@JCsBees]

+Kc Carr The Oregon Hillbilly Hilton Yes, during the winter bees need a lot of food. As spring gets closer sometime it's a good idea to feed them, which will hold them over until nectar is available.

[@mattincinci]

their candy boards looked darker than the ones you made

[@JCsBees]

Matt Kovach Yes they did. This as my first attempt at making these and I think mine was slightly thicker than his. Either way the bees seem to like it and that's the main thing.

[@mattincinci]

Jason Chrisman what would you feed a new bee package in late spring?

[@JCsBees]

Matt Kovach Well this is a good question. I always feed mine sugar syrup and a lot of people do. Some feel you should not feed your bees sugar only honey. Well as a new beekeeper you do not have honey yet! You do not want to buy honey to feed them because your bees can get sick. So this leaves you with only sugar the first year anyhow then you can decide how you feel about giving bees sugar. If you want you can even purchase organic sugar. Mix sugar and water 1:1. I use hot water and put mixture in a jug so I can shake it until dissolved. Some choose to heat it on the stove top. Just make sure it's cool before feeding it to your bees.

[@mattincinci]

Jason Chrisman I'm getting my bee packages at the end of april from spillies and I have pure cane sugar that I was planning to feed them, I guess feedimg them inside the hive with a frame that holds one gallon of syrup might not be a good idea yet

[@JCsBees]

Matt Kovach I love frame feeders. The problem can be drowning. If you do not have a good float or something for the bee the climb on you can lose a lot of bees. You could use a mason jar to start out. Until the colony builds up. Poke small holes in the lid of the jar. After you fill the jar place it over the slot/hole in the inner cover. You will need a empty box to place around this so the lid can go on. Do you have a extra box?