10F-Winter-Bee-Kind

For 10 Frame Langstroth (or comparable size) hives.

SHIPS IN DECEMBER.  DO NOT PLACE OTHER ITEMS IN YOUR CART WHEN ORDERING THIS PRODUCT AS ALL PRODUCTS WILL SHIP TOGETHER IN DECEMBER. 

We are the original creators of the Winter Bee Kind feeding system. Thank you for purchasing from us and protecting our intellectual property rights!

SHIPS IN DECEMBER IF TEMPS ARE BELOW 40 degrees.

DO NOT PLACE OTHER ITEMS IN YOUR CART WITH WINTER BEE KINDS, THESE BOARDS CAN NOT BE SHIPPED WITH OTHER ITEMS. 

PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING 

For winter feeding of honey bees.

• We will ship when the weather here is under 40 degrees.  We are sorry if you need one earlier, we do sell them without candy, so you can order and fill it yourself. 

• Boards may arrive WET due to improper shipping.  This is because there is a slight liquid center (or the bees can't access it) which can drip if the boards ship on their side.  Just allow to harden and place on hive for bees to clean up. 

• Instructions are enclosed and can be found here (below).  Please place WBK board on the hive asap, OR freeze (it is a food product for honey bees and will not keep). We are sorry but we can not take returns on food products. 

• Put on your hive after the first frost, and before the winter solstice. You will have to check periodically to see if the bees have eaten all the candy.

 How long it lasts is based upon how many bees you have, current temperature, how much honey stores they have, etc.  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Use our Winter-Bee-Kind board when daytime temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees. Place board above your bee cluster with the candy side facing down and insulation side facing up. This will replace your inner cover. Simply place top cover over board and you're set! The amount of time your bees will take to finish the candy depends on how much food your bees have already packed away for the winter, the number of bees and the weather. Some colonies will take several weeks to finish the candy, and other colonies will take two weeks to finish. The board is refillable for reuse many times.  A simple google search will bring up various recipes for candy boards.  

Note: We make these in industrial size batches, and not single use as you would.  However, below is the exact recipe Sheri used to use to make these on our stove top at home.  Please realize that this is not easy, that's why we make them! If your recipe isn't turning out, check these things: 1.  Does your thermometer work? 2. Are you using gas vs propane?If you stove does not get hot fast enough, you can lose too much moisture and get a brittle product 3.  type of sugar. 4.  temperature and humidity in your kitchen 5.  altitude

Recipe: Add 4 lbs of sugar to 12 ounces of simmering water, stirring to dissolve completely.  Run the temp up to 250 degrees.  Take off stove and immediately add feeding additives ( we sell these or you can use any additives of your own choosing.  Amounts on are on labels. If you use a different company's additives, you will have to contact them for amounts.) Let cool before use.  Freeze if you can't use right away and thaw before using.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Our WINTER-BEE-KIND board insulates the top, provides upper ventilation and comes filled with sugar and pollen for the bees to eat should they need it during the winter. NOW WITH pollen and feed stimulant!  Each candy board also has pollen embedded into the candy sugar to give the bees the protein they need in their feed as well. This WINTER-BEE-KIND board insulates, ventilates and feeds your bees as a single unit. This is an Emergency winter feeding solution, that should only be used when it's too cold for bees to continue flying, which is typically when daytime temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees.

We use a special piece of insulation that is backed with a thin piece of metal to help reduce condensation in the hive. It has a special upper vent which also serves as an exit and entrance for bees as well as a place to help excess condensation escape. The WINTER-BEE-KIND CAN BE REFILLED AND USED FOR YEARS WITH PROPER STORAGE.  You can use any candy board recipe but the simplest is to bring 12 oz of water to simmer on stove, add 4 lbs of sugar, stir. Let come to 250 degrees before removing and adding any feeding additives you desire.  Pour into board, allow to cool before putting on hive.  Replace on a windless day quickly, and do NOT lift any frames and inspect hive.