bee's eating fondant instead of stores..

[biglongdarren]

will bee's eat fonadant when there is still stores?..would it be easier to eat fondant than the stores?...also of my three hives one hive is into its second helpin of fondant,why would it be going through it quicker than the rest?all three hives have plenty of stores each...and why does one hive have ten times as many dead bee's outside it as the rest......

 

[Poly Hive]

"will bee's eat fonadant when there is still stores?..would it be easier to eat fondant than the stores?...also of my three hives one hive is into its second helpin of fondant,why would it be going through it quicker than the rest?all three hives have plenty of stores each...and why does one hive have ten times as many dead bee's outside it as the rest......"

In order.

Yes

yes

Stronger.

Life expectancy catching up with a big hatch? Or just genetically not good at wintering?

My take.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

The Greeks seem to prefer fondant
The Carniolians will eat anything...... sure they are turning carniverous!
The NewZealanders would like to come inside and cuddle up with the Kids,cats,dogs,bats,guineapigs and alpaccas, next to the fire!!

 

[Vergilius]

The NewZealanders would like to come inside and cuddle up with the Kids,cats,dogs,bats,guineapigs and alpaccas, next to the fire!!

Why don't you just move to New Zealand!!!

Ben P

 

[Skyhook]

The Greeks seem to prefer fondant

No, I think you're thinking of baklava

 

[For want of a better word]

because there is no place on eath better than where I live now...... and I have been most places on this crowded planet!

 

[peteinwilts]

also of my three hives one hive is into its second helpin of fondant,QUOTE]

how big is a helping?

 

[Poly Hive]

I give one helping of 10kg.

PH

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I give one helping of 10kg.

PH

is the other 2.5 kg to ice your christmas cake?

 

[oliver90owner]

I give one helping of 10kg.

There lies a big difference. Well, not really.

My 'helping' is a kg. BUT I will not be thinking of feeding the full colonies (with a whole box of stores) until Feb at the earliest, so, for me, 10kgs would simply not get used. Their '10kg' is already in the brood box.

The nucs may need some, but, again, they were simply too heavy to run out of stores this side of the end of January. One or two of my weaker ones may need a little, but never 10kg.

I would be making thin sugar syrup with it, come March! If I were to lose a full colony because of 'isolation starvation', I would be surprised. Sorry, yes, but they would not be in the gene pool next year. That is one advantage of 14 x 12s - plenty of stores and plenty of space for the bees to move up. The usual scenario is they eat towards one end of the box and can't get to the other end. With extra stores in the bigger box, one side will be enough until I check them.

One big feed at this time of the year (if they need it) is sensible.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

The other 2.5 goes on a nuc.

I would normally agree Rab but remember I was unable to feed in the back end so am being very careful with the fondant as insurance.

Anything left over in spring gets made into syrup.

PH