SUGAR CANDY RECIPE (BEE FEED)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

*This recipe will make one candy tray.

  1. Feed Tray (16 ¼ x 20x 1 ½ inch rails). Cut 2 x 4 inch hole in bottom.
  2. Wax paper
  3. Pot, large enough to hold sugar and water. A soup pot or stock pot. No lid. Mixture will expand while boiling.
  4. Strong, large mixing spoon with long handle as mixture will become very hot while stirring.
  5. Candy Thermometer.
  6. 15 pounds (30 cups) of granulated sugar.
  7. 1 to ¼ quarts of water (32 – 48 fluid ounces)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cover hole in candy tray with wax paper.
  2. Mix sugar and water thoroughly with mixing spoon.
  3. Heat to 240 degrees. Do NOT stir after boiling begins.
  4. Let mixture cool to 190 -195 degrees.
  5. Then, stir mixture until it becomes cloudy like boiled starch.
  6. Pour immediately into candy tray.
  7. Let cool until hardens. Depending on temperatures may take overnight.
  8. This tray replaces your inner cover. Scratch paper with hive tool.

ADVANTAGES:

  • Cold weather feeding. Can put candy tray on a hive anytime.
  • Eliminates robbing.
  • Can add pollen substitutes before stirring.
  • Candy trays can serve as your inner cover year round.
  • Stores well, can make in advance and take to the bee yard as needed.
  • It is a “slower” feed so it will not promote swarming as much if used in late spring.

Offered by Tim Scheer