Picture this scenario: It is February. Temperatures have been brutal — weeks of single-digit cold. Your hive has been silent and sealed since November. You've resisted the urge to check on them (good for you), but now you're worried. Did they have enough stores? Are they still alive? Is there anything you can do now, in the middle of winter, if they're running low on food?
The answer is yes. And the tool is called a candy board.
A candy board is a shallow frame filled with solid sugar, placed directly on top of the winter cluster. It serves as an emergency food source when syrup feeding is impossible due to cold and when the colony has consumed most of its honey stores but can't yet forage (because spring is still weeks away).
It's simple. It's effective. It has saved countless colonies from starvation in that cruel gap between mid-winter and the first crocus bloom.
A candy board is essentially a wooden frame — the same dimensions as a honey super — about 1 to 2 inches deep, filled with hardened sugar. The bees eat directly from it, consuming the sugar and converting it to energy to keep the cluster warm.
It sits on top of the uppermost box, just below the inner cover, so the rising heat from the cluster keeps the sugar soft enough to consume. If placed correctly, the bees can access it without breaking the cluster, which is critical in extreme cold.
You'll need:
Step 1: Build the Frame
If using a shallow super, simply staple hardware cloth to the bottom to create a base. If building from scratch, cut 1×2 boards to fit your hive dimensions (16 inches × 19-7/8 inches for a standard 10-frame Langstroth), screw or nail them together to form a rim, and staple hardware cloth across the bottom.
Step 2: Mix the Sugar
In a large pot, combine 15 pounds of white sugar with approximately 2 cups of water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves completely.
Once dissolved, stop stirring. Insert a candy thermometer and heat to 234-240°F (112-116°C) — the "soft ball stage." This is critical. Too cool, and the candy won't harden. Too hot, and it becomes brittle and unusable.
Step 3: Pour into Frame
Remove from heat immediately when temperature is reached. Pour the hot sugar mixture into your prepared frame (hardware cloth side down, so the candy rests on the screen). The mixture will be extremely hot — use caution.
Work quickly. The sugar begins to harden within minutes. Pour to a depth of about 1 inch.
Step 4: Let It Cool
Allow the candy board to cool and harden completely — at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. It should be firm but not rock-hard. Bees should be able to gnaw pieces off without difficulty.
Step 5: Install
On a warmish day (40°F+ if possible, though you can do it in colder temps if necessary), crack the inner cover just enough to slide the candy board onto the top box, candy side down, so it rests directly over the cluster. The hardware cloth faces up, allowing moisture to escape.
Replace the inner cover and outer cover. Done. You've just given your bees a lifeline.
Don't want to cook sugar to precise temperatures? Use fondant — the same stuff used for cake decorating.
You can buy it in bulk (search for "baker's fondant" or "beekeeper's fondant"), or make a simple version at home:
No-Cook Fondant Recipe:
Mix the sugar and water in a large bowl or bucket until you achieve a thick, dough-like consistency. It should hold together when pressed but not be soupy. Press this mixture into your prepared frame (1 inch deep) and let it dry for 24 hours. Install as you would a candy board.
Fondant is easier (no thermometer required) but slightly messier. Bees consume it just as readily.
If you don't want to build a frame at all, use the mountain camp method: simply pour dry granulated sugar directly onto a sheet of newspaper laid across the top bars of the uppermost box.
Pour 5-10 pounds of sugar in a mound (hence "mountain camp"). The bees will add moisture from their own respiration, dissolve the sugar, and consume it. The newspaper absorbs excess moisture and keeps the sugar from falling through the frames.
Pros: Dead simple. No cooking. No equipment.
Cons: Messier. Sugar can spill down into the hive if you're not careful. Less precise than a candy board.
But in an emergency? It works. And it's saved many a hive in January when stores ran dangerously low.
When to add a candy board:
How to install without killing the bees:
Choose the warmest day you can find, ideally above 40°F (4°C). Work quickly. Remove the outer cover and inner cover, place the candy board directly on the top box (sugar side down), replace covers. Total time: 2-3 minutes.
The brief exposure to cold is far less dangerous than starvation. You're not opening boxes or pulling frames — just adding a layer of food above the cluster. The bees will find it within hours.
We've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating in the context of winter feeding: the two-finger lift test is your best diagnostic tool for assessing stores without opening the hive.
Stand behind the hive. Place two fingers under the back edge of the hive (bottom board level). Try to lift.
Do this test every 3-4 weeks through winter. It takes 10 seconds and can save your bees' lives.
You have two options:
Option 1: Proactive (Recommended)
Add a candy board in November or December, even if stores look adequate. Think of it as insurance. If the bees don't need it, they won't eat it, and you can remove it in spring. If they do need it, it's already there, and you don't have to disturb the hive mid-winter.
Option 2: Reactive
Wait until mid-winter (January-February), assess stores via the heft test or by listening for cluster activity, and add the board only if you suspect they're running low.
This saves you the effort of making boards for hives that don't need them, but it risks catching the problem too late.
Our recommendation? Proactive. Peace of mind is worth the small amount of extra sugar.
"A candy board in November is an ounce of prevention. A candy board in February is a pound of cure — if you're lucky enough to have one ready."
— Northern Beekeeping Traditions, 1934