# honey bee healthy



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

This is from a posting by Clint

Honey Bee Healthy Recipe
5 cups water
2 1/2 pounds of sugar
15 drops each of spearmint and lemongrass oils
1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules 
You have to dissolve the granules in very hot (almost boiling) water and let it cool prior to incorporating the oils into the mixture. The lecithin is an emulsifier and helps disperse the oils in the water mixture. This is the standard recipe according to a website article I read about using essential oils, and these are the two oils used in the HBH. I use less of the oils than the recipe calls for since I am feeding fairly heavily at this time, but for a spring or fall treatment, I will follow these measurements. 
Essential Oils:

LorAnn Oils
4518 Aurelius Road
P.O. Box 22009
Lansing, Michigan 48909
(517) 882-0215
or toll free
1-800 248-1302
or by fax
(517) 882-0507
The last I purchased was Spearmint oil 1 ounce for $3.99 
Be sure to mention that you are a Beekeeper to get the cheaper prices. 
They seem to have it all in stock and a lot of great info on the oils used for beekeeping
Clint

To make candy for the queen cages is this to ship them or just to release them when they don't have candy?

The old recipe (Before AFB fear stopped it) was to just take honey (heated to 140 degrees) and mix in powdered sugar until it was really thick. You can use any kind, but the kind without starch is considered better. You can make this non-starch powdered sugar in a blender with regular sugar.

You could do the same with some corn syrup or invert syrup too.

But you can just use a miniture marshmallow in the queen cage to slow down introduction.


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