Longlanehony Honey-Bee-Kind Candy Boards

[ycitybz]

Has anyone tried these candy boards by long lane honeybee farms.
I think $39 plus $11 shipping is pretty expensive to buy..
Does someone have a better more affordable way to do this? I like the over all concept, but it comes down to price..


http://www.honeybeesonline.com/

[Roadstar]

Just produce your own, or do like I do, and just place sugar blocks directly on the top bars in the upper brood box, and you are good to go. We just placed a couple on a hive yesterday. You can do a quick search for Candy Boards here, or on Google, and find all the info. you need to make your own. For Sugar Bricks, or Sugar Blocks, another forum search will yield that info. for you too. Here's the recipe I use for sugar bricks:

1 1/2 cups of water
1 tbsp. white vinegar
4 pounds of sugar

in a large stock or soup pot, place water & Vinegar, and slowly stir in the sugar, while bringing the mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly is important here. Bring to boil, and continue to boil and stir, until you reach a temp. of 240. Remove from heat, and pour mixture into whatever you are using for a mold. We use metal bread pans, lined with non-stick aluminum foil. When cool, remove bricks from the mold pan, and seal in gallon sized freezer bags.

4 pounds of sugar will make 2 blocks, about 2 inches thick or so. When placing on the hive, set these right on the top bars of the frames in the upper box. You can use a medium or shallow super for a spacer above the upper box, so you have clearance room for the sugar blocks. Place the spacer, put inner cover on, then lid. (I built a simple spacer box that is 3" tall, just to conserve space for the bees to have to heat. Our bees will devour 2, 2 lb blocks in about 2 weeks. You can always use more sugar, and make the blocks thicker, so they last longer.

[winevines]

Has anyone tried these candy boards by long lane honeybee farms.
I think $39 plus $11 shipping is pretty expensive to buy..

Yowsa! I tried them a few years ago but I don"t recall they were that expensive. The package may leak when you get it- similar to a box of fondant, so you need to put it on top of a garbage bag. The full size ones worked great. Do you get Bee Culture? Mr. January is holding up one of their full size candy boards in that photo from their free calendar. The nuc ones fell apart- the candy dropped out (my theory is that maybe the nucs were generating more heat) but then the wood frames broke and that really irked me- the sides fell apart pretty easily. They should be able to stand up to the moisture of the hive. Then they were non responsive to my feedback.
If I was going to spend that kind of money - I would invest it in a 50 pound block of fondant - runs about $40 probably now with sugar the way it is. Or just make bee candy and put it on newspaper on the top bars with a shim. That way if it is not hardened up correctly, it will not plop out of a candy board and fall on the top bars making a big mess.

[Vance G]

It is not rocket science. quart of water in turkey fryer add vinegar and ten pounds of sugar. After sugar is starting to boil, you can even dump in another ten pounds for a bigger batch. Around 240 is good, it is not fussy but don't burn it! You need to keep stirring. When it boils again and it will be hard to stir, Pour in 10 oz size dixie paper soup bowls. You can line them with wax paper so they don't stick, but the bees don't care if the bowl sticks, they will clean it up. Bricks are about two pounds apiece of sugar. I store in five gallon buckets about forty pounds fit in one. Not as sexy as the candy board maybe, but serves the same purpose. If bees quit using them, seal in five gallon bucket for next winter or melt in water for syrup. If you do it out on the driveway, there is no mess to clean up. Take turkey fryer kettle out and let bees clean it up. Now why would you pay a couple three dollars a pound for the same thing?

[Michael B]

Not to mention that you are not getting alot for the price. I believe it is only 5 lbs.

Make your own or brushy mountain now sells fondant.

[StevenG]

Make your own, it isn't that hard to do, as others have said.

[New Ky Beekeeper]

I like using just plain sugar and used the "mountain camp method" of spraying it with warm water while putting on paper on the top frames of your hives. Candy has to be heated to about 150-180 degrees and if it splashes on you, it will burn. I have checked my hive and most of the sugar that wasn't being eaten had adsorbed more mosture and was a soft candy.

I also suggest you purchase some pollen patties and place them on your hives 4-6 weeks before you honey flow begins....

Just my $0.02,
Phil

[signalten]

I tried making candy boards. I have burned water too. I went the Mountain Camp Method also.

[Grant]

Yeah, make your own...if you have the time. The price of your labor plus the L.P. gas or electricity needs to be figured in. Somedays I don't have the time.

But I can always find more money when I cannot find more time. The price to buy them also figures in the convenience of NOT making them. Either way, you'll pay.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[klm2012]

Their winter bee kind board comes with a couple different features. It's insulated and then I think it also has an upper entrance hole for them, too. Usually it beats making your own. Getting hard candy just perfect is a task.

[wanderyr]

I just received one of these and put it on a hive. I was actually quite impressed. It replaces the inner cover. It provides the candy (mixed with pollen powder), an upper entrance, and insulation. The insulation is metal-backed, so the bees won't get into it.

The price seemed high, and I will certainly refill it with my own candy instead of buying a new one. When I need more of them, though, I'll buy them intead of making them... If I had hundreds of hives, I couldn't afford it, but I'm still small-time

It comes with their recipe for candy, too

Lastly, I've been dealing with David and Sheri Burns since I started, and they are quality people. I would have had them over for dinner if we weren't 2000 miles apart.

My two cents...
-wanderyr

[rdlp18]

I think the correct name of this product is "Winter-Bee-Kind" and it's not just candy board for $39. It's an insulated inner cover that uses a special piece of insulation backed with a thin piece of metal to help reduce condensation in the hive. It also has an upper vent that the bees can use as an exit/entrance as well as a place to help excess condensation escape. And it's lined with 5lbs. of candy. They give you the candy recipe so you can refill it yourself. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

[Sam Fugate]

I have often wondered about adding pollen powder to my sugar mix.... I don't need the hardware, just the recipe. I wonder if it is benificial ?

[rdlp18]

There is pollen in their candy boards. I'm sure there are recipes all over this forum. The Megabee website, which sells a powdered pollen substitute, has a recipe. I use 2:1 sugar syrup instead of HFCS. IMO, HFCS is not good for people or bees.

[juzzerbee]

What is the purpose of adding vinegar to the candy board mix? To hold the candy together or does it benefit the bees in some way?

I am considering making candy boards but I have heard that some just shake suger on a piece of newspaper set it on the top bars instead. Is this just as good? It seems to be a lot less work and it would be easier to get the exact level, so a spacer may not be necessary. Thanks, juzzerbee

[oblib]

Juzzerbee, I may be wrong but based on my reading about the only real advantage of the candy board is it will never get hauled out as trash. Sometimes loose sugar will if it is too dry.