Add fondant, or stop fussing?!

[Beemum]

My brood and a half poly hive is still very heavy, with colony clustered between the frames just under the roof. It’s still cold here and they looked (from a v quick glance) v sleepy, but they were moving.

Is it safe to assume they’ve got the stores they need, where they need them, or should I add fondant over the cluster just in case?

I lost a colony last year so I’m a bit nervous - my other tiny nuc colony are guzzling fondant and are more active, so I know they are ok.

Thanks for your help, I’m just nervous of not doing the right thing in time, or maybe they’re fine and I need to leave them alone, I just don’t have enough experience to know which it is!

PS just read Do224’s thread about fondant as a back-up…it’s now Feb which is when Erichalfbee said to review, so I at least have my timing right!

 

[Ian123]

Your hives are heavy so I’d leave well alone.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My brood and a half poly hive is still very heavy, with colony clustered between the frames just under the roof. It’s still cold here and they looked (from a v quick glance) v sleepy, but they were moving.

Is it safe to assume they’ve got the stores they need, where they need them, or should I add fondant over the cluster just in case?

I lost a colony last year so I’m a bit nervous - my other tiny nuc colony are guzzling fondant and are more active, so I know they are ok.

Thanks for your help, I’m just nervous of not doing the right thing in time, or maybe they’re fine and I need to leave them alone, I just don’t have enough experience to know which it is!

PS just read Do224’s thread about fondant as a back-up…it’s now Feb which is when Erichalfbee said to review, so I at least have my timing right!

Agree with Ian. If they are heavy they don’t need feeding.

 

[Ian123]

Also don’t just heft them now doing so earlier in the Autumn gives a good idea on what actually heavy is, and on going through the winter an idea of dropping weights. Also if you suspect 1 is getting lighter preemptively adding fondant is far easier or beneficial as they eke out existing stores. Much better than waiting for stores to get to a critical level. I’ve just checked a friends today with this situation and I’ll try and get some warm syrup into them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Option 2

 

[Amari]

I have two poly hives - both bb and super - which I hefted two weeks ago and both felt 'heavy'. They weighed (luggage scales) 32 & 33kg. I'll probably peep under the crown board next week.

 

[Beemum]

Thank you for the reassurance everyone - sounds like they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing and my job is to do nothing and let them get on with it!

 

[Jon.21]

I had a question on this too. I weighed my cedar 14x12 hives and lowest total weight was 31kg with luggage scales. I weighed an empty hive (floor,14x12 brood box, crown board, roof, frames with foundation) and it came to 16kg. So assuming 4kg for weight of bees and drawn out wax 20kg. So in theory 11kg of stores.
Weighing them every 2 weeks but When would you put fondant on ? Wait till down to 1kg left or 5kg etc ?

 

[Murox]

Its good that you know the weights. Red flag at 5kg. Also you need to consider your local weather patterns and forecasts. and know about your local sources of early pollen and nectar.
There is no shame putting on some fondant as insurance, just record everything and then next season be sure to set the bees up more thoroughly in the autumn.

 

[Jon.21]

Thanks. Will keep an eye out for getting that low.

 

[Poly Hive]

I checked my fondant yesterday and added some to most of the nucs. Frankly I am not bothered if they have loads of stores or not I want to know they have accessible stores. My hive tool sorts out any stores congestion when they get active.

 

[colinc]

I have 2 hives that had taken no fondant all winter and still seem heavy on hefting that are sizeable colonies and have smashed the “security” fondant in the last 2 weeks. One of my lighter hives has taken fondant steadily in the milder spells all winter long. I was lax in 21/22 and my colonies were slow starting as a result last year and I spent the year catching up. This year they seem fit to go so hoping for warm weather and nectar as soon as possible.

 

[Ian123]

I checked my fondant yesterday and added some to most of the nucs. Frankly I am not bothered if they have loads of stores or not I want to know they have accessible stores. My hive tool sorts out any stores congestion when they get active.

I think there’s rather too much made of this over feeding…….There’s obviously no point in slapping on food on hives that simply don’t require it. However no hive has died of over feeding, the down sides are cost time and jamming them so full they swarm with the slightest spring income. But quite frankly if it’s been warm enough for them to think about swarming you probably should have been inspecting anyway!! Plus I’ve a use for store frames. So that only leaves cost and time, probably not an issue for the few hive keeper who values his bees above a few kg of fondant.

 

[Poly Hive]

If the hive tool is used properly in spring to GIVE the bees room my over feeding, if it is even, such has no effect at all on constricting the space available. I work my brood nests some thing apparently frowned on by many. Goodness knows why, as by bruising and turning frames the brood can be expanded well beyond what the colonies would achieve if simply left to it.

PH

 

[alancooper]

Fondant - the bees are better looking at it than for it.