# Queen Candy Recipe



## yantabulla (Jan 9, 2011)

Can anyone share a recipe for queen candy that doesn't have honey in it. I have tried the search but the words Queen & Candy throw up a lot of options. Thanks Yanta.


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## Learning2Bee (Jan 20, 2016)

yantabulla said:


> Can anyone share a recipe for queen candy that doesn't have honey in it. I have tried the search but the words Queen & Candy throw up a lot of options. Thanks Yanta.


You can mix up about a 1/4 to a 1/2 (Really any amount) cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Then just add a little Karo (Corn Syrup) and mix it up. No certain amount... Just mix more in till you get a dough like substance. Then form your candy. From thereon you can store it in a bag or freeze it. Thats a method a lot of local beeks use.


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## yantabulla (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks for taking the time to respond Learning2be. I'll give it a go today. Yantabulla


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Try using a marsh mellow for the candy plug.
If you are not shipping the queen and not in the
hot summer time then the candy should hold.


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

You know that old timey candy called Circus Peanuts? I have used that before and have had good luck with it. It took the bees about three days to eat throug it, in a JZBZ queen cage.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

fatbeeman had a nice video on this. You can probably find it online. It is basically what was said in post #2, but with a few extra tips like only Don can provide.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

It's pretty easy to make the "real deal" and a little bit goes a pretty long way if you are a hobbyist like me. If you are only going to be using it in your own yard there shouldn't really be a problem with using honey BTW.


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Yanta - I do not use Queen Candy to time release from queen cages. I strongly prefer a Laidlaw cage to protect a queen while allowing her to begin laying eggs. I release the queen after she is accepted.

I do make candy for shipping queens in 3-hole cages. I use Dri-Vert instead of powdered sugar, and Karo corn syrup to make a fairly stiff mixture - stiffer than marshmallows. Zero problems with it. The fatbeeman video gives a good idea about it. He mentions that mixture stiffness controls release time, which is why I don't use the stuff for release. Too early = she's dead. Too late = she's superceded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RymOwqkQzN4


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## yantabulla (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks KC. I'm selling them so I don't have the luxury or checking on them in a couple of days. I have made a batch of the fat bee mans recipe and I think it will be fine. I will try to source some Drivert sugar. I had a big batch of candy made with irradiated honey but the container somehow found its way onto the floor of my shed and broke and was to contaminated to salvage. I'll get another batch of honey irradiated in a few months time hopefully. Thanks for the help.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

1 two pound bag of powdered sugar
1 cup of invert syrup (Kelley or Koehnen)

Heat sugar in bowl in microwave until hot
Dump sugar into mixer bowl
Heat syrup in microwave until hot
Dump into sugar
Mix until evenly mixed. Knead in any extra sugar in the mixing bowl

Makes enough candy for 130 cages. Freeze extra in zip lock bag


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## yantabulla (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks Michael


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