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–+ servings
Homemade bee candy for beehive.

No Cook Candy Board for Bees Tutorial

Charlotte Anderson @ Carolina Honeybees, LLC
Step by step directions on how to make a no cook candy board for your honey bee hives. There are many ways to provide excess sugar for your wintering colonies - this is one. It is simple and easy to do and does not require any cooking.
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Tools

  • hand saw
  • framing square
  • Hammer
  • small nails
  • staple gun

Supplies
 

  • 1 piece 1/2" welded wire piece - 22" x 19" (or equivalent)
  • 1 bag granular cane sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup pollen substitute (optional)
  • 1 piece newspaper

Instructions
 

  • Build a frame for the candy board: Unless you buy one already made - you need to assemble a simple wooden frame that fits on your hive.
    The first step is to build a wooden rim – also called a “shim” for the hive. This wooden rectangle will fit exactly on top of a wooden bee box.
    The outside dimensions of your wooden frame should be 19 7/8” by 16 ½”. This is the standard length and width of 10 frame langstroth boxes.
    The exact length you will cut each piece depends on the thickness of the boards used to make your frame. Just make sure your overall outside dimensions are correct.
    Wooden frame for bee candy board with needed tools.
  • Assemble the wooden frame:
    Assemble the wooden frame with small nails and some type of wood glue. Glue is optional but it will make the finished product much sturdier.
    It is a good idea to use a carpenter's square to ensure the board frame will fit your hive boxes.
    Using a framing square to assemble wooden candy board
  • Add wire to bottom of frame:
    Some type of wire or support is needed to hold the sugar in the frame. It is a good idea to use wire that is large enough for bees to squeeze through.
    If you can-attach the wire just inside the bottom of the wooden shim – you will not have any wire in the way to create a gap between the candy board and top hive box.
    A good choice is ½” welded wire.  This mesh size is large enough to allow bees to move through the wire and still gives some support.
    hardware cloth wire nailed into wooden shim for beehive.
  • Mix up candy board sugar recipe:
    In a bucket or large bowl, mix the dry sugar and a small amount of water. How much exactly will you need? It depends.
    It is easy to add more sugar or a bit more water. The amounts listed in the ingredients section is just a recommendation.
    Stir with your hand or large spoon. We want all the sugar to be moist but not soggy. We want it to clump together like a good snowball.
    Mixing cane sugar for candy board recipe
  • Filling the frame with candy:
    Placing a small cup on the wire keeps a hole open in the candy. This allows moisture to escape from the hive. It also allows bees in the hive easy access to the food. (Add a second cup if you want to save space for a bit of pollen patty.)
    A single layer of newspaper can be placed inside to help hold the sugar in place until it dries a bit.
    Place handfuls of the sugar mixture around the cup and across the surface of the wire. Spread to a uniform thickness and press down firmly.
    (Optional) Add a small pollen patty if desired.
    Pollen patty and sugar in bee candy
  • Drying your bee candy board:
    Let the filled candy boards sit for 1 or 2 days in a warm dry location. 
    As the water evaporates, the sugar should become hardened in the frame. Still handle them carefully as you move them to the bee yard to place on the hives.
    Drying sugar boards to feed bees

Notes

*This makes a firm surface of sugar to provide extra food for a Winter colony - it is not a substitute for good honey stores in the hive.
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