Sugar Candy and Syrup Recipes
February 15,2011 By Maine Beekeepers
http://mainebeekeepers .orglinformation-for-beekeepers/ree ipies- fonn ulations/sugar-candy-an d-syrup-re eipes/
Feeding with Sugar Candy or Dry Sugar
Hard Candy
Hard candy is a very good way to feed bees without overly stimulating brood production, but it takes
some preparation. Here are two recipes:
Microwave Candy Recipe
(feeds 1 or 2 colonies)
1. In a one quart ( or larger) microwave dish. mix thoroughly one and a half cups granulated sugar and
one-half cup light corn syrup ( 3: 1 ratio). No water.
2. Microwave on a high setting, stirring every few minutes, until the mixture is clear and
bubbles become larger (thumbnail size), about 10 minutes. Bubbles should be large, but is stop
immediately if the mixture starts to brown. A wooden spoon is very effective for stirring, as it can be
left in the dish during microwave cooking.
3. Pour into an ilmer cover without the vent hole (use duct tape to cover the hole). Use the inner cover
upside down with the candy in the brood chamber. Or pour it into a mold made from cardboard,
aluminum pan or a container lined with paper to cool. The candy will become brittle, and can be
slipped on top of frames where the bees will consume it.
Stovetop Candy Recipe
1. Heat one pint (1/2 liter) of water to boiling in a large pot on stove.
2. Stir in as much sugar as can be dissolved. This will be about 5 pounds (2 Kg). More sugar is better.
3. Boil without a cover. stirring it near continuous until the mixture reaches 234 degrees F. It takes a
while.
4. Pour into a mold made of cardboard or a container lined with waxcd paper or butcher's paper. The
candy will harden as it cools. The candy will become brittle, and can be slipped on top of frames where
the bees will consume it. Or pour it into an ilmer cover without the vent hole (use duct tape to cover the
hole). Use the inner cover upside down with the candy in the brood chamber.
Granulated Sugar
Granulated sugar is another good way to feed bees without overly-stimulating brood-rearing. Bees will
eat the granulated sugar only if they don't have enough honey. About a cup of granulated sugar can be
poured on an inner cover, around the ilmer vent hole. You need to leave an escape route to the outer
vent notch. You could also pour the sugar onto newspaper above the bees. If granulated sugar is poured
inside the hive, sometimes the bees will carry it out of the hive and throw it away. That's because they
are using it to trap the moisture in it. Once you see the bees taking the sugar, you will know they are
low on honey and depend on the sugar. You will then know you must keep feeding them. Replenish
what they use in a timely fashion. Check from one week to the next.
Sugar Syrup
Sugar Syrup Feeding (Northern Syrup Feeding)
Sugar syrup is a good means of supplementing the bees nectar flow. The syrup is made of water and
regular white refined table sugar. In the spring, the syrup wants to imitate the consistency of nectar.
The syrup would then be mixed in a ratio of 1: 1 In the fall, the syrup needs to be mixed in a more
concentrated manor (2:1) because the bees don't have time to fully process it into a honey. Sucrose
syrup is a superior winter preparation feed. Since it stays liquid and contains no solids that might cause
digestive problems during a long confinement period, particularly in northern climate areas such as
ours. Ho\yever, if they don't get the moisture content below 18%, the syrup will ferment. In the winter,
this would mean the bees would require more cleansing flights then normal. This could create a
Nosema problem in long cold weather spells. Sugar syrup is also an excellent means of administering
some medications. When the medication prescribes being used with sugar syrup, use the appropriate
mix for the season and always follow the medications directions.
Spring Syrup (1 :1)
It is best to feed a mixture of sugar and water in a one to one ratio by volume in the spring. Half fill
your container with sugar and add water to completely fill the container. You can mix the syrup by
stirring the one to one sugar/water mixture for the spring feeding. The bees will use the sugar syrup
mixture until natural sources are available.
Water Weight
160z(:::1 pint) = I pound
] gallon = 8.345404 poundsl
Fall Syrup (2:1)
Use a two part sugar to one part water sugar syrup mixture if the bees do not have adequate winter
stores. Fill your container to the half way mark with water. Pour the water into a pan to place on the
stove to warm up or boil. Completely fill your container with sugar. Add sugar to hot water and stir.
Hot or boiling water will help to dissolve the sugar better. Allow mixture to cool before feeding your
bces.
A Note on Mixing Sugar Syrup1
Here are the figures explaining the difference between 1: 1 sugar syrup and 2: 1 sugar syrup. Always use
granulated cane sugar when making sugar syrup.
1: 1 sugar syrup, by weight: If you dissolve 5 pounds of granulated sugar in 5 pounds of hot water,
you will have 10 pounds of syrup that is 50% water, by weight. The bees will dry this to about 18.6 %
water, by weight, before capping. This means that the final product will contain 5 pounds sugar and
about 1.14 pounds of water. To achieve this, the bees must remove 3.86 pounds of water from the
original mix. The final volumc ofripened syrup will weigh 6.14 pounds.
Translated into gallons, ] gallon of]: I sugar syrup weighs about] 0.3 Ibs (5.] Sibs. water and 5.15 Ibs sugar).
This will dry to 6.33 Ibs of syrup with] 8.6% water. This is a bit more than one full comb of capped honey.
2: 1 sugar syrup, by weight: If you dissolve 10 pounds granulated sugar in 5 pounds of very hot water,
you will have 15 pounds of syrup that is 33.33 % water, by weight. The bees will dry this down to
about 18.6 % water, by weight, before capping. This means that the final product will contain 10
pounds of sugar and about 2.28 pounds of water. To achieve this, the bees must remove about 2.72
pounds of water from the original mix. The final product \vill weigh about 12.28 pounds, the equivalent
of 2 full combs of capped honcy.
Translated into gallons, 1 gallon of 2: 1 sugar syrup weighs about 10.98 Ibs (3.66 lbs. water
and 7.32 lbs sugar). This will dry to 8.99 Ibs of syrup with 18.6% water. This is equivalent
to 1.5 full combs of capped honey.