Bees leaving the hive with bits of Fondant?

[Smallbeehive]

I have some fondant in a super above the brood box which the bee's are tucking into but I have noticed some bee's were leaving the hive with tiny bits of fondant in their mouths which confused me.

So now I am worried could this be robbing? Or is there another reason for bee's to be leaving the hive with fondant in their mouths?

 

[thorn]

They were off to the greengrocer's.

 

[Ian123]

When it dries and goes rock hard they are inclined to bin it rather than eat. I wrap mine in cling film to keep moist with an access hole

 

[Curly green finger's]

Could be finishing of a meal before foraging .

 

[Ian123]

Could be finishing of a meal before foraging .

Don’t be daft it’s a packed lunch

 

[iann41]

seen and heard of this a few times now and is one of the reasons why I give liquid stores and only use fondant in the depths of winter as an emergency/ top-up feed. I suspect bees chucking good fondant out the door happens more than people realise.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When it dries and goes rock hard they are inclined to bin it rather than eat. I wrap mine in cling film to keep moist with an access hole

I think this is probably the explanation
They do similar with crystallised Ivy honey in the spring, though I suspect its dropped on the floor first and the bees are clearing it out

 

[Curly green finger's]

Don’t be daft it’s a packed lunch

 

[citrus]

Don’t be daft it’s a packed lunch

ha ha ha

#postoftheyear2019contender

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I don't believe this explanation as surely the fondant if over the hole will absorb hive moisture

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't believe this explanation as surely the fondant if over the hole will absorb hive moisture

It will still harden, especially as the bees tend to suck as much moisure out of the block to liquefy the piece they want to eat/store away (I still chuckle at those that think bees just take away chunks of fondant and pack it away in cells as stores) rather than find a water source elsewhere to thin it down. I often find when I'm clearing way any emergency fondant (if administered) left over in the spring that rather than a solid lump the leftovers are more of a friable loose formed mass of hardened sugar crystals

 

[drex]

I don't believe this explanation as surely the fondant if over the hole will absorb hive moisture

When I come to remove any excess in spring, Sometimes it is a bit wet, sometimes it is set like concrete.