# HBH - Pro-Health - Homebrew - cost?



## pokerman11 (Feb 9, 2009)

The year I’m making my own essential oil additive for my bee food. Just made my first batch. I’m using a receipe pulled off this forum (I think from M Bush).
5 cups water
2.5 lbs sugar
1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules
30 drops of essential oils (I’m using spearmint & lemongrass)
Get the water to close to a boil then stir in the lecithin and keep stiring until it dissolves. Turn off the heat, add in your sugar. Let it cools then add in oils. This makes about two quarts of mix and fits into a two liter pop bottle for storage perfectly.

I just did my first batch and it’s really easy – and I am wondering if I am missing something. Honey B Healthy is not cheep, and if that is all it is – it is a really OVERPRICED product. A gallon of HBH or the Mannlake Pro-Health costs ~ $85 - I can make a gallon of this home recipe for ~$5.

Is that it – or am I missing something here?


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

pokerman11 said:


> am I missing something here?


A PhD in chemistry and a sales background.

That's not supposed to be a shot at you or anything, just from what I've read that's the only difference between the $85 commercial stuff and the $5 home stuff.


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## pokerman11 (Feb 9, 2009)

I am even wondering if I need the sugar in my recipe. 

The Lecithin is a natural emulsifier (allows oil and water to mix) but after the lecithin is dissolved the essential oils can be mixed in - why do we need the sugar? 

If this is an additive to 1:1 or 2:1- why even mess with the sugar? The bees will get the sugar from the syrup.


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## TomOB (Jun 1, 2003)

where do you obtain the spearmint and lemongrass?

tia

t


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Great question pokerman! I wondered that myself when I saw the recipe here on the forum. The small amount of HBH (2 TBS?) to be mixed per gallon of syrup doesn't lend much sugar to the mix!


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## pokerman11 (Feb 9, 2009)

Tom you can buy essential oils from any health food store, or if you are like me and hate to shop - AMAZON.com

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I still am wondering the value of the sugar in HBH - i gotta think it's fine without it but want to know what others think.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

The sugar is needed because that is feed the way it is. Not as a concentrate.  Search user name alpha6 and look at his formulas. It's what I and many others use. I don't have it saved on my laptop or I would post it. I will tomorrow if you don't find it.

Edit to post:

Found it. Though I mix mine a little different then he, the amounts are pretty much the same. 

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238278&highlight=formula&page=2


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## pokerman11 (Feb 9, 2009)

ok - I thought the amount of oils was really light and the cost difference too great. At that difference local BEEKS would be making and selling.

Does anybody have a recepie for making HBH or Pro-health concentrate? Basicly I'm want to create an essential oil (EO) concentrate. (I mix/match the different EO, lemon grass/spearement/wintergreen/pepermint etc). The primarly reason I want the concentrate is that adding EO to water that is hot enough to dissolve lecthin will cause the EO to vaperize. Also I just want a concentrate for conveniance.


Doing some math off of that above forumla and assuming a 1 tsp = 5ml or ~60 drops. It basicly comes out to 5 tsp of EO per 25lbs of sugar (50lbs feed if 1:1) . (Alpha6 forumula is slighty higher than that at 7tsp.) I'll work on my own receipie if nobody has one off the shelf for a EO concentrate. I can add in lecthin into a known amout of water and then develop my own concentrate, then figure out how much to add to get to 6tsp of EO per 25lbs sugar. I use 25lbs as that's the size bags of sugar I buy. 

I'll start out with 5 parts water, 2 parts lecthin, 1 part EO and see what I get.

That is unless somebody already has a concentate forumla?









tks


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

I found a similar recipe on here and I've been using this for about 3-4 years now. I buy my EO's from the health food store. you will be able to find them in places like this that offer alternative health care products.

I buy the EO's in 15 ml bottles 1 each of thyme, spearmint, and lemon grass. In a glass, I pour the intire contents of each bottle and swirl it to mix it up well. I them pour back into the bottles using a funnel and store it in a cool dry place. If you have 5 - 10 hives, these three bottles will probably last your life time. do not worry about the emulsifier, the sugar in the syrup is as good a carrier as any. when I'm feeding the bees by the gallon, I add 5 drops of the premixed oils and stir well.

The 3 benefits I notice by using these oils is that 1) the oils stimulate the bees feeding and the bees are greatly attracted to it. 2) If the bees are not able to take it down very fast for whatever reason, the syrup will still be good even after a month. 3)the bees do seem a little more springy and active.

Side note here: one year I had singles and I doubled them up (under supered) with supers that had 3 drawn and 6 foundation. I shook bees that year as well. I fed them after the shake and them later in the blueberry feilds, they were coming along nicely. the feed I gave them in the blueberries was like what I metioned above but with the addition of 2 tablespoons of pollen per gallon. I took a foundation frame from the bottom and set it in the top super between 2 brood frames. 24 hours later, much to my astonishment, those frames were drawn out and completly filled with eggs. very nice indeed.


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## TomOB (Jun 1, 2003)

is that 30 mls of each or 15

tia

t




pokerman11 said:


> The year I’m making my own essential oil additive for my bee food. Just made my first batch. I’m using a receipe pulled off this forum (I think from M Bush).
> 5 cups water
> 2.5 lbs sugar
> 1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules
> ...


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## jams bees (Oct 4, 2008)

Any one who wants any quantity of essential oils should check out the following site. I haven't found anyone cheaper and definitely no one place with their selection. 

http://www.libertynatural.com/


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## jams bees (Oct 4, 2008)

I did a search for the relationship between drops and ml or cc (same thing) and it is 20 drops per cc.

I have made it without the sugar and it works just fine. The oils may separate a little more due to the lower viscosity but even HBH says to mix well before use.

One advantage of the non sugar mix is the lack of sugar residue if you are using the formic boards. Using HBH and formic as per their recipe ruins the pad material after a few uses. It will no longer absorb the mix. Washing is not an option as the pads are too delicate to withstand rinsing.


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

Here's where I get mine..... cheaper than many.
And for me I like to order in gallons.....

http://wfmed.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=147_27


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## herbcoop (Jun 2, 2011)

Going to have order some EO for sure


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

This is a more accurate recipe :

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?275533-My-New-E-0-Recipe


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Newdirectionsaromatics.com

Online stores both Canada and US. Quick shipping and good price.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

BeeCurious said:


> This is a more accurate recipe :
> 
> http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?275533-My-New-E-0-Recipe


^^^ 
The amount of lecithin in that recipe is a bit much.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

There are many recipes out there and many ways to make your own. This is mine (with a little help from FatBeeMan):



> In a blender*** combine:
> 1 cup water
> 1 tablespoon tea tree oil (for nosema control)
> 1 teaspoon lemongrass oil
> ...


Note that no lectithin is used in this version.

HTH

Rusty


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## herbcoop (Jun 2, 2011)

Sundance, This is where I just got my oil from, my question is on the lemongrass it has a note on the top of the bottle saying "For external use only, keep away from children"
For external use only, the bees can still consume this without issues?
Now the Spearmint doesn't have that warning on it, neither has them listed aromatherpy so just making sure before using on the girls.. Both from WFmed
Thanks 



Sundance said:


> Here's where I get mine..... cheaper than many.
> And for me I like to order in gallons.....
> 
> http://wfmed.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=147_27


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Mbeck said:


> ^^^
> The amount of lecithin in that recipe is a bit much.


Mbeck, 

What are you suggesting as a recipe now?


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