This is the natural fine sugar powder that I bought at the grocery store that I used to make the sugar cakes for my fall feeding.I could have formed them into pretty nice looking patties, but I was kind of lazy and made it into chunks instead.
As you can see from the photo below the bees are all over it and they seem to really like it.
The photos were taken a couple months ago when it was still fall and cooler weather but not that cold yet.
The batch on the right is the old and the clumps on the left is the fresh that I was putting in the hive. I piled it on top of waxed paper. The bees chew up both the sugar and the paper.
I also put some clumps on the feeder outside the hive and noticed that on sunny days the bees were much more interested in the sugar cake and that they were ignoring the sugar syrup.I believe this sugar is "confectioner's sugar". It's used to sprinkle on desserts to make them pretty and it's simply natural white cane sugar but just ground into a finer powder that dissolves really fast.
Oh, and how is it made? No cooking, other than taking already made up sugar syrup and using that as a liquid added to the powder. Go easy on the liquid because it goes a long way. The amount of liquid determines how runny the paste will be.
5 comments:
Hey- just wanted to say thanks for posting your blog. I am in my first year with two hives as well and always enjoy reading other beekeepers experiences. I have found lots of other blogs by beekeepers in more temperate climates so it is nice to read about someone who will face a little colder winter. I am in Wyoming, U.S. and just finished a week of -20 degree F temps. It got above freezing today for the first time in about 10 days. Anyway, thanks again.
Gareth
Gareth: Nice to hear from another beekeeper. -20 this early in December is pretty cold. We've had wind chill here which makes it feel really cold. I agree, it's great that us newbies stick together and help each other out, sharing info. I hope your bees winter over well for you.
The bees seem to really like it. Are you using 1:1 syrup for the mix and does it stay moist for a good while? I am about ready to give up the syrup bags and use raw sugar on newspaper but I like your idea. I have some of the powder sugar already from mite dusting this past summer.
Side note: Your sugar bag reminds me of the time my wife and I were in Canada in a grocery store. We both have limited French skills and were fascinated with seeing our favorite consumer item labels en Francais!
Hi Steve: It stays moist for a while but it does dry out. They seem to keep licking it though. The problem with making it more moist is that it gets too runny. Yes, the sugar syrup was 1:1 ratio. Also, don't use icing sugar - which is what you probably used for your Varroa sugar shake. This sugar has no cornstarch in it.
I am in my first year with two hives as well and always enjoy reading other beekeepers experiences.
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