Honeybees in Autumn: Preparing for Winter - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 90

aged or old comb, which becomes deep brown in color from brood rearing. I've noted
that many beekeepers use this winter break to catch up on their reading. I usually pick
out a few more topics from our bee club library in order to learn as much as I can for
the upcoming bee year.
Taking on various bee-related crafts is another great way to spend the winter. Many
beekeepers clean and filter their wax for candles, make honey soap, bottle their honey,
and design new labels for their honey jars. But my favorite activity is mixing up
beeswax balms and salves. Recipes for these projects are numerous and never hard to
find.
Sugar Fondant
Fondant is a sugar-paste feed for
the bees over the winter and into the early spring. The advantage of
fondant is that it will not ferment during the
long winter months like the liquid sugar syrups.
½ cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Linealoafpanwithwaxpaper.Combinewater,sugar,andcornsyrupinme-
dium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved completely.
Using a candy thermometer, heat to 235°F without stirring for 3 minutes.
Themixturewillbecomeasoftball,butifyouoverheatit,itwillcaramelize.
Remove pot from heat and let mixture cool until it becomes thick and pasty.
Pour into loaf pan. Allow to harden and slice when cool. Place a slice on the
top bars of the upper deep inside hive. Save extra in plastic bag. No need to
refrigerate.
Pollen Patties