Make a candy board for overwintering honey bees

This video shows how to make a candy board for overwintering bees and we also discuss the many additional benefits of a candy board, including absorbing condensation, allowing moisture to escape, and additional food stores in the event the honey stores are depleted. The vinegar is just a mold inhibitor. I forgot to use it last year and had no problem. You mix it with the water before adding to the sugar. See the bottom of this page for the recipe: http://www.indianahoney.org/Resources.cfm

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• honey
• bees
• beekeeping
• honeybee
• how-to
• gardening
• winterizing

[bigcity1974]

Use your queen excluders for the screen Mr. And Mrs. Bee keeper, they work great!

[krullion]

@bigcity1974 Yes they do. No problems there. Thanks for pointing that out.

[robertcart]

what size is the screen?

[krullion]

@robertcart No smaller than 1/4" - So the bees can get through OK. What you see in the video is 1/4" and that's what most of us used last year. However, I'm making mine this year with 3/8". Since you line the screen with paper anyway, it will all stay up there and give plenty of room for the bees to pass through. I use the paper that comes between new foundation. It's perfect for this.

[jameswolffff]

Very Great info! Thank you for responding, Winter was brutal last year and despite having frames of honey near the bees several local beekeepers I know with different beekeeping experience levels ended up with some quiet hives that starved because the bees wouldn't abandon the brood to get a few frames over to the honey. If they could go upward to the candy board diectly above the brood this would be great. 2 Thumbs Up

[krullion]

@jameswolffff Yes, that is a classic scenario you describe there. The candy board is excellent for that... as well as the fact that is sucks up a TON of moisture/condensation into the sugar and that will keep it from dropping back down on the cluster. Come spring... just melt the unused part of the candy board down for your 1:1 sugar water. Everyone in my club, even the old-timers think these boards are great. Good luck.

[onemouse1]

Made mine today! Placing them on the hives tomorrow afternoon. With the warm weather, of the past few weeks I have been feeding syrup to my bees, however looks like winter will be here soon, so time to get things together!! Thanks for the Vid.

[ferretzrus]

@krullion Thank you so much for your help. I really like your website.

[ferretzrus]

@krullion Thank you so much for helping me with this. I'm new at beekeeping, since May of this year.

So far they afre doing very well. I'm from VA.. our winters very from year to year.

I got on your website and will learn all I can from you. Thank you very much.

[krullion]

@ferretzrus See the URL I have in the description of the video (you may need to expand the description) It will take you to our page that has the detailed recipe and method. Put your candy board on as late as possible (Late November) if you put it on when it's still too warm, the bees will get in to it and start eating it. You want this on it during the cold times while you are not getting into the hive. Pollen, we make a pocket in the candy and keep separate. Bees want this late Jan/early Feb