Test Run of Homemade Honey-Bee-Healthy

Mann Lake and Brushy both sell a derivation on this product, I mixture of essential oils that are meant to improve the health of the hive, boost brood production, and accelerate syrup take-up.  The dose is approximately one or two tablespoons per gallon of syrup.  The stuff is pretty expensive and there are enough homemade recipes out there to try that I decided to give it a go.


Here are the ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup honey
1 cup ice
0.5 oz lemon grass oil ($3.99 at Whole Foods)
0.5 oz spearmint or wintergreen oil ($5.99 at Whole Foods)
3 lecithin capsules

Here is the recipe:

"take 1/4 teaspoon of lecithin granules and mix it in one cup of boiling water. I add one cup of honey and one cup of ice to cool it to room temp. Put it in a blender and put on low setting. one-half ounce of each wintergreen/spearmint and lemongrass. Add drop by drop both oils until a yellow milky looking mix. Add one drop of hand dish soap and mix for 15 more seconds. The Lecithin and soap are both emulsifiers and will help keep the oils mixed in solution. add water to make up difference to total one quart. I feed at one or two tablespoons to the gallon of feed."

I mixed the potion with a gallon of 1:1 syrup and put in a gallon sized ziplock bag.  I laid the bad on our HVAC unit and poked it full of holes with a pin for open feeding.  There are a number of other similar feeding bags in the same location.  I look forward over the next couple of days determining the relative popularity of the homemade stuff.  I'll keep you posted.