Bee`s in feeder

[lapdogsx5]

Newbie hear i need a bit of help please, we`ve just been down to my bee`s & in one hive the cluster is up in the feeder which was full of fondant last week & now is empty
we`ve put more fondant over the other escape is there anything else i should have done ?Hubby wanted to smoke them down but i wouldn`t let him did i do the right thing ?

 

[yeogi75]

what type of feeder have you, and are you saying all the bees are in there and none on the frames,or just a lot of bees, if its the latter then feeding is required as they have eaten what you had

 

[lapdogsx5]

what type of feeder have you, and are you saying all the bees are in there and none on the frames,or just a lot of bees, if its the latter then feeding is required as they have eaten what you had

It`s just a plastic tub i put the fondant in which is now empty of fondant and full of bee`s,didn`t go in the hive to see if there`s any bee`s on the frames but i did put more fondant over the other escape .

 

[yeogi75]

you have used a Chinese food container put some fondant in and upturned over the hole,and that is full of bees, no problem bees just looking for more food,if bees eat all the fondant keep feeding, if you have two holes in your crown board make sure not to remove empty container off until empty of bees, then place container other way up to stop bees going into top

ps dont go into hive as will chill the bees and may die

 

[oliver90owner]

full of fondant last week & now is empty

Questions might arise as to whether they needed feeding, whether they are now well detached from any remaining stores, how much fondant used in a week, etc etc.

However if they are now short of food they need feeding. I use take-away tubs (preferably the deeper ones, which hold about a kg of fondant I think). They are covered in cling film and placed over the feed hole after making a couple of slashes so they can enter. It is then no problem to slide another behind it to replace it and return any bees to the hive (as long as not tooo cold at the time).

It is nearly February and spring brooding is going to start soon, so they need a careful watch over them as stores usage will rocket if brooding heavily. Might even soon be time to feed water as well (1:1 syrup?), dependent on how you prepare (or not) your bees for the OSR.

All this is dependent on whether you want them ready for OSR and, of course, on the weather. A lottery as to when the OSR blooms this year!

 

[lapdogsx5]

My instincts were right then so pleased about that i can now tell hubby i told you so lol I`ll get a larger container as well for when i they need more fondant (i`ll check next weekend ) you were right it`s a Chinese food container, just one more question i`m not sure what OSR means .Thanks for being there it`s a great help.

 

[protheroe]

oil seed rape

 

[Outlander]

As stated they are just up there looking for more food. I change mine over at night as found they are less likely to be up in the container

 

[REDWOOD]

What I do is when one plastic container is empty with bees in it, gently push it with the new container so you end up with 2 containers side by side over the hole in the crown board, the next time you check the bees in the empty container would have gone

 

[Cazza]

What I do is when one plastic container is empty with bees in it, gently push it with the new container so you end up with 2 containers side by side over the hole in the crown board, the next time you check the bees in the empty container would have gone

Snap! Works perfectly well.
Cazza

 

[REDWOOD]

Snap! Works perfectly well.
Cazza

Great minds think alike

 

[Moggs]

Variation on a theme: my Kingspan top-of-hive insulation has a food container sized hole in the middle, above the feed hole in the CB. When empty, a quick change is easy.

It's a bit of a fiddle to cut though.

 

[rockdoc]

Best container I've found for fondant is a certain ice cream carton - Ca**e D**, found in one of our very large supermarkets! Lid is strong enough seal to allow pre-storing of fondant, also allows you to store a spare under the roof +eke.

 

[Duchy]

Put an eke on top of the broodbox and put some fondant in there.

 

[Pete D]

It`s just a plastic tub i put the fondant in which is now empty of fondant and full of bee`s,didn`t go in the hive to see if there`s any bee`s on the frames but i did put more fondant over the other escape .

Hi, you dont need escapes in your crown board at this time of year, all that is escaping is heat. When not covered in fondant block off the holes with something else, bit of wood for instance.
Pete D