Even though I’m almost sure my hive hasn’t made it to this point of our winter, I’ll slide a solid form of sugar into the feeder shim midweek, when we’ll see the warm*est* weather for this stretch. Just in case.
Last year, I made them fondant, and they didn’t hesitate to eat it. It was sugar, water, vinegar, and a couple of drops of lemongrass oil. It was also inconvenient to make. Candy isn’t something I’m especially good at.
This year, I was considering feeding them dry sugar during these months, but wanted something that could more quickly be placed on the hive. It’s too cold to linger with the hive cracked open, or even to completely open it. Also, I’d like to lessen the chance that bees would be caught above the sugar during a sudden temperature fluctuation between death above zero and death below.
Enter sugar cakes.
I wanted to avoid cooking the sugar altogether, in case it is healthier for the bees, and for convenience. A web search reveals quite a few suggestions and recipes, and it looks like most should work fine, as they all seem to follow a similar ratio. Kind of like with sugar syrup or fondant recipes. All tips are helpful.
I chose to add an amount of apple cider vinegar and lemongrass oil that is comparable to last year’s fondant. Here’s what worked for me, using a 4lb bag of cane sugar. Obviously, this doesn’t make much, but you can easily make more.
Ingredients:
4lb bag of cane sugar
1tsp apple cider vinegar (you can substitute white vinegar)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
2 drops organic lemongrass oil
Directions:
Set aside a mold, such as a cake pan. If you wish, you can line it with parchment paper, for easier removal of the sugar cakes. Put the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl, and use a spoon or your hands (it’s easier to use your hands) to toss them together. Add the water a little at a time, mixing each time some is added, until the mixture has a slightly damp sand consistency. It should be just enough to dampen it so that as it dries it will hold its shape. If you add too much water, it won’t dry. Add the essential oil, and thoroughly mix it in. Press the mixture firmly into your mold. Score it into usable sections, as you won’t be able to do this once it’s dry. Let it dry at least for overnight. It may take more or less time.
If you like, you can preheat the oven on “warm” while you mix the ingredients, put the mold in there, and then shut the oven off to give the process a head start. The bricks need to be thoroughly dry before they are removed from the mold, or they will fall apart.
It’ll be good to have these on hand for the cooler spring months, even for new bee packages. They ought to keep fine in a cool pantry.
Thanks for answering! This is my first yr beekeeping. I only have 2 hives. I live amongst the amish in NW ohio and alot of the questions i have they have no clue. I also watch too many different youtube beekeepers and get more confused than results. I have been feeding sugar water since the second week of August and i want to be ready for our winters we have. Thanks for responding! I read everything about bees i can find! I put a 10 acre wetland in and seeded wildflowers and a bunch of different grasses. Want to get 2 more hives going in the spring and try to catch some native bees at a friends building that have been in a wall for years! Thank you so much!!!
Can i add a bee probiotic to sugar cakes and how much per standard sheet pan?
Hi Judd! I have only ever added a bit of lemongrass oil to the mix (a drop or two). Usually, I don’t even do that. But it would seem a probiotic would boost the prevention of nosema. And after all, the bees are cooped up for the winter. You could reach out to the manufacturer of the product you plan to use, or try some of the message boards like beesource.com.