[evittsmountain]

Looking for a recipe to make winter patties similar to what you can buy commercial.
I am thinking sugar, Honey B Healthy and a small amount of Bee Pro. I don't want to use HFCS or Corn syrup. Any ideas on a formulation? I was figuring oil to keep them soft. I finally got my pollen patty the way I wanted it, but the sugar patties like this are throwing me for a loop. Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times before.....

 

[JWPalmer]

Interesting question, can't say as I have run across a winter patty recipe so far. Do your hives get snowed in or not have flying days in the winter? I am just 170 miles southeast of you and feed regular homemade Ultrabee patties starting in January. Bees never seem to go more than two, maybe three weeks without a fly day.

Lauri Miller used to sprinkle pollen sub on or in her sugar bricks IIRC, and that would amount to about the same thing as a winter patty. Try searching username Lauri here on Beesource and read some of her posts.

 

[evittsmountain]

Interesting question, can't say as I have run across a winter patty recipe so far. Do your hives get snowed in or not have flying days in the winter? I am just 170 miles southeast of you and feed regular homemade Ultrabee patties starting in January. Bees never seem to go more than two, maybe three weeks without a fly day.

Lauri Miller used to sprinkle pollen sub on or in her sugar bricks IIRC, and that would amount to about the same thing as a winter patty. Try searching username Lauri here on Beesource and read some of her posts.

Thanks. I will have to look into it. Maybe Im wrong, but I just can't see how bees enjoy some of the rock hard candy. Although I guess with the moisture inside it might act as a wick to pull in moisture.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I don't understand the reasoning for feeding "winter" patties. Do bees really need a patty with pollen...or sub...in the winter? Why? I've always believed that bees only need carbohydrates in the winter to survive just fine. Now once they begin rearing brood they do need protein. That doesn't begin here until later in March. Wouldn't a patty containing protein increase indigestibles in the bee gut and increase the need for a cleansing flight? What am I missing?

 

[evittsmountain]

I don't understand the reasoning for feeding "winter" patties. Do bees really need a patty with pollen...or sub...in the winter? Why? I've always believed that bees only need carbohydrates in the winter to survive just fine. Now once they begin rearing brood they do need protein. That doesn't begin here until later in March. Wouldn't a patty containing protein increase indigestibles in the bee gut and increase the need for a cleansing flight? What am I missing?

You do make a good point. The more protein content and they will need the cleaning flights. What do you use during the winter? Regular sugar bricks? or Candy Boards? This is my first winter, I am trying to figure out what I am going to use at this point basically.

 

[evittsmountain]

I guess something I am trying to figure out is a nutritional value for bees during the winter. If such a thing exists. I am on the newer side to beekeeping, so maybe I am thinking wrong, but it just seems like there should be something to add to the regular sugar blocks...

 

[AstroZomBEE]

I agree with Michael Palmer, just pure carbs, maybe like 1% pollen by weight.

I fill candyboards for the beekeepers in my area of PA, or anyone willing to travel to me.

My default candy only has 3% pollen, but if i get enough locals bringing in boards to fill, i'll make a batch at whatever pollen they want. But again for winter you need very very little pollen in their diet.

We've found that it takes 6% pollen by weight in the candy to artificially stimulate brood growth, so our 3% + whatever mother nature provides seems to be a good boost for our hvies, again i don't over winter, but it's the same theory. Supplemental food when there isn't enough coming from mother nature.

Aaron

 

[evittsmountain]

I agree with Michael Palmer, just pure carbs, maybe like 1% pollen by weight.

I fill candyboards for the beekeepers in my area of PA, or anyone willing to travel to me.

My default candy only has 3% pollen, but if i get enough locals bringing in boards to fill, i'll make a batch at whatever pollen they want. But again for winter you need very very little pollen in their diet.

We've found that it takes 6% pollen by weight in the candy to artificially stimulate brood growth, so our 3% + whatever mother nature provides seems to be a good boost for our hvies, again i don't over winter, but it's the same theory. Supplemental food when there isn't enough coming from mother nature.

Aaron

What would you recommend to keep the "patties" soft? I really prefer having something a bit more soft and pliable than super hard sugar bricks. I was planning to use just a super small amount of Bee Pro in the mix. Like you said around 3 percent of the mix. I just wish I could keep them from turning to a rock.

 

[Jim Braun]

I use Lauri Millers recipe for sugar blocks. They are anything but soft. Actually they can get kind of crumbly. My mix for a small amount is:
14 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
4 tea spoons electrolytes
4 tea spoons ascorbic acid

I have 2 - 3/4" x 11" x 17" baking pans of my wife's that I use. Mix in a bowl the pour into pans. Pat it down or use a rolling pin. Score into the size you want, I quarter my pans for 10 frame deep. Place in oven for 2-3 hours at 175 degrees. Flex the pans then remove the blocks. If you don't score you will have broken pieces of various size. That happened to me the first time. Put in the container of your choice the use as needed.

You will need a 3/4 shim as these get placed on the top of the frames.

I have been placing them in the hives in December but I'm finding the sugar in cells when I extract so this year I'll wait until February.

I hope this fills your needs.

 

[AstroZomBEE]

What would you recommend to keep the "patties" soft? I really prefer having something a bit more soft and pliable than super hard sugar bricks. I was planning to use just a super small amount of Bee Pro in the mix. Like you said around 3 percent of the mix. I just wish I could keep them from turning to a rock.

Why do you want it soft? Moisture in a hive is an enemy for winter time. The hard sugar brink will absorb the excess moisture, turning soft layer by layer.