Recipe for Honey Bee Healthy
If you’ve ever used Honey Bee Healthy, you know the bees love it, you also know it isn’t cheap. Especially with more than a few hives. Here’s an inexpensive recipe to make your own. I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of 1:1 sugar syrup, normally use it during dearth periods It is useful in the Winter months to stimulate them to feed and begin to expand their brood.
Equipment
Saucepan
Measuring cup
Mixing spoon
Small dish
Blender
Quart jar
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Water
2 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of Soy lecithin granules
10 drops Lemongrass essential oil (Attracts bees and can help deter varroa mites)
10 drops Spearmint essential oil (Feeding stimulant, helps control pathogens and deters mites)
10 drops Tea Tree oil (Helps with Nosema)
10 drops of Wintergreen Oil (Helps with varroa mites, tracheal mites, and hive beetles hate it)
Instructions
Place soy lecithin granules into the small dish. Cover with just a little warm water and allow to sit and start to dissolve. They take time.
Heat the water in the saucepan over medium heat until hot, but do not bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar stir until completely dissolved.
Add the dish of water and soy lecithin along with the essential oils. Stir until combined.
Allow to sit until completely cool.
Pour into the blender and blend on high speed for 5 minutes.
Pour in to a quart jar, top off with water and shake. Store in the fridge in an airtight jar or container. Use as directed when feeding bees and discard at the end of the season.
Notes
To use: add 1 tablespoon per gallon of 1:1 sugar syrup then feed to the bees in late fall into early spring.
Be sure and shake the jar well before using.
I normally add about 1/4 cup of honey to the mix if available.
DO NOT spill this around the hives. It can and most likely will create a robbing situation.
Discard in the fall and make a new batch the following spring