Cutting fondant

[ericbeaumont]

bees take clingfilm down into the broodnest

Worse than that: last I used cling film I found strands buried between abdominal tergites of quite a few bees, and no amount of fiddling would free it.

Never again.

 

[polymath]

Amen to cutting in situ in an apiary being a mistake.. Simon the Beekeeper sold small plastic sandwich boxes of fondant which were an easy way to use fondant. Buying your own clear sandwich boxes from one of the bargain shops, cutting up the fondant at home and packing it into said box then putting the lid on is an easy solution. With the lid on the fondant keeps for ever almost. To use remove lid from sandwich box and invert over the feed hole.

exactly what i do

 

[sipa]

Too expensive for me I'm afraid- £1199 of 12.5kg bajers fondant are what I've git to play with

Sounds like Rory is quoting a pallet here too at £1199, tho we don't know the weight.
Fondabee Pallet £1326 / 875 Kg
Even if the same weight which I doubt, the difference in cost is Just £127....... are you sure that's worth all the faff ?

 

[Rory Fields]

I think it is easy but I obviously don’t have your physical problems. IMO if you can get the weight of the fondant falling off the “step” to open the cut the slice can be severed by many light cuts. (I don’t use a serrated blade as I have always assumed it would make it harder as the serrations clog up but I have tried dipping the blade into water which made it easier, but messy)

Edit - I’ve just cut up 2 boxes of fondant - one using a serrated bread knife and one using a sharp carving knife. IMO the carving knife is better as it doesn’t snag in the fondant.

I use pallet wrap as it’s more robust (and cheaper) than cling film and I’ve never had bees take it into the brood box.
Having it already cut, makes it easy to just open up, reverse the crown board ( I have 2” ekes screwed to the upper side of my crown boards) uncover one side and place that onto a QX or sometimes directly onto the top bars as I want the bees to store it in the combs as easily as possible.
I only put it above the crown board for emergency use, stored in a takeaway box within a PIR insulated pocket which the bees can rob at any time they are active during the winter. They will not break cluster to forage above the crown board during very cold periods so it’s imperative to get the stores into the comb they are clustering on.

Edit. I’ve just thought - by having it prepared off site you can cajole/ press gang a friend, relative or even a small child into preparing it!
Mmmmm now there’s a thought.

Invaluable Neil, thank you! Something tk keep my dad busy if I'm too crooked to do it. Incidentally, not taking good care of my bavk js the orecise reason I'm still awake at 3.26 and average 2-3hrs sleep - take care of yourselves everyone, please, I'm 36 and thought I was invincible

 

[Rory Fields]

If you are trying to cut up 12.5 kg blocks from say Bako, then it's never going to be easy. Proberbly best to put the block on a plywood board on the floor and unwrap. Use a clean stainless steel spade dipped in a bucket of water before taking each slice, wrap and continue.

Seems like an awful lot of work just to save a few quid, better buying the 2.5kg blocks of Fondabee, easy peesy !

Too expensive for the quantities I needed though sadly, so I've got just under 12.5kg blocks to split, have tried spades before and though rudimentary, it works, but would prefer something more like Neil's slick operation- means it's ready to go and I can see which colonies require more feeding and rake that into account in my queen breeding

 

[Rory Fields]

Sounds like Rory is quoting a pallet here too at £1199, tho we don't know the weight.
Fondabee Pallet £1326 / 875 Kg
Even if the same weight which I doubt, the difference in cost is Just £127....... are you sure that's worth all the faff ?

A pallet of 88 x 12.5kg yes, but I've got a fair few leftover from last year, my colonies were extremely light on stores until the balsam finally came, so I was anticipating having to feed them through this past month and just continue through to get them upto winter weight. Looking less emergency but will still be a lot more food than I've ever had to feed in my home apiary of circa 70 colonies - the weather's just not allowed them to cross the valley onto the fell for the heather which is ordinarily both my main (and only) crop and most of their winter stores. Thank god for balsam!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Invaluable Neil, thank you! Something tk keep my dad busy if I'm too crooked to do it. Incidentally, not taking good care of my bavk js the orecise reason I'm still awake at 3.26 and average 2-3hrs sleep - take care of yourselves everyone, please, I'm 36 and thought I was invincible

start working on building up your core muscles supporting the spine, daily self physio (sometimes regularly throughout the day when the aches start) does help a lot. I found that beekeeping actually helped eventually and I now suffer a lot less in high beekeeping season than in the winter, It was during preparation for the 2012 Olympics that my back started to go - then quickly followed by a bad injury chasing smugglers in the Solent the following May (three prolapsed disks, maybe more by now, plus a compound wedge fracture) in 2013 I thought my beekeeping was more or less over, but assistance from one person I was mentoring and encouragement from SWMBO, my back is not the chronic illness that makes me worry about the future. In fact, the thing that gives me most gyp at extraction time is a gammy knee that noone can pinpoint the cause!!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Invaluable Neil, thank you! Something tk keep my dad busy if I'm too crooked to do it. Incidentally, not taking good care of my bavk js the orecise reason I'm still awake at 3.26 and average 2-3hrs sleep - take care of yourselves everyone, please, I'm 36 and thought I was invincible

I slipped a disc in my early 40s, it was a long, slow journey back to a semblance of health. Other factors saw me start horse riding lessons in my late 40s and later buying an Icelandic horse. Icelandics are a gaited breed with a motion peculiar to only a few breeds in the world. Their signature gait (the Tolt) is particularly comfortable to ride and creates a therapeutic movement in the lower spine. I had my mare for twenty years and together we rode miles and competed in our breed society shows.

 

[Xander]

How about an hydraulic or even small electric log splitter?

 

[Rory Fields]

start working on building up your core muscles supporting the spine, daily self physio (sometimes regularly throughout the day when the aches start) does help a lot. I found that beekeeping actually helped eventually and I now suffer a lot less in high beekeeping season than in the winter, It was during preparation for the 2012 Olympics that my back started to go - then quickly followed by a bad injury chasing smugglers in the Solent the following May (three prolapsed disks, maybe more by now, plus a compound wedge fracture) in 2013 I thought my beekeeping was more or less over, but assistance from one person I was mentoring and encouragement from SWMBO, my back is not the chronic illness that makes me worry about the future. In fact, the thing that gives me most gyp at extraction time is a gammy knee that noone can pinpoint the cause!!

I've 3 prolapsed discs, but apparently that's normal for anyone over 30 and shouldn't be causing me any pain. Truth be told, I think I ripped something in my sacroiliac/coccyx area and everything else is a result of that being off kilter. It sounded like velcro when it went and I kept working in a bookshop for 4yrs where the 5'6 owner refused to work because the counter gave her backache - I'm 6'3 so bending myself into a question mark and naively believing her when she said she was getting the counter raised has been pretty life-changing - we should all definitely place a lot more value on our health. I have spent thousands on physios and osteopaths etc, but my back goes into spasm/cramp either side of my spine when I try to work it out and MRI's show only normal damage. I already had posture that takes me from 6'3 to probably under 6' so I doubt that helps - hollow back, my dad has it too but he's pain free.

 

[Rory Fields]

I slipped a disc in my early 40s, it was a long, slow journey back to a semblance of health. Other factors saw me start horse riding lessons in my late 40s and later buying an Icelandic horse. Icelandics are a gaited breed with a motion peculiar to only a few breeds in the world. Their signature gait (the Tolt) is particularly comfortable to ride and creates a therapeutic movement in the lower spine. I had my mare for twenty years and together we rode miles and competed in our breed society shows.

I've always wanted a donkey...... think I can use this as reasonable excuse to steal more of me parents garden?

 

[elainemary]

Invaluable Neil, thank you! Something tk keep my dad busy if I'm too crooked to do it. Incidentally, not taking good care of my bavk js the orecise reason I'm still awake at 3.26 and average 2-3hrs sleep - take care of yourselves everyone, please, I'm 36 and thought I was invincible

My hubby suffered from a bad back in his 20s had a major operation and they wanted to do another. The physio said back stroke swimming was v good for building up supporting muscles and would help his condition a lot. Hubbie said he wasn’t a strong swimmer and didn’t have much time then and she said “learn and make time!”. He did and turned down the 2nd op. He’s now 40 years older and swims 3x a week for a mile. His back is pain free and strong. Recommend you try back stroke and stick at it.

 

[madasafish]

I suffered from sciatica about 12 years ago. Agony: intense pain down leg.

I started a daily course of yoga based spinal twists and bends - took about 10 minutes a day. Sciatica became far less painful and less frequent. All gone after about 2 years. I continue with 25mins daily yoga - essential at my age (75) to be able to look after 16 or so hives.

 

[elainemary]

I suffered from sciatica about 12 years ago. Agony: intense pain down leg.

I started a daily course of yoga based spinal twists and bends - took about 10 minutes a day. Sciatica became far less painful and less frequent. All gone after about 2 years. I continue with 25mins daily yoga - essential at my age (75) to be able to look after 16 or so hives.

We do that too - good for beekeeping, helps develop strong abs to support your back

 

[JamezF]

My hubby suffered from a bad back in his 20s had a major operation and they wanted to do another. The physio said back stroke swimming was v good for building up supporting muscles and would help his condition a lot. Hubbie said he wasn’t a strong swimmer and didn’t have much time then and she said “learn and make time!”. He did and turned down the 2nd op. He’s now 40 years older and swims 3x a week for a mile. His back is pain free and strong. Recommend you try back stroke and stick at it.

To be honest, front crawl is probably equally as good if that's more comfortable. Performed correctly, the strokes are near identical in terms of the mechanics of the arms during the power-delivery phase. Backstroke may be simpler for many because breathing is easier, but even learning to breathe properly for front crawl is more a question of practice once you know how it should be done.

James

 

[Murox]

Clingfilm is chewed into tiny particles which are difficult to see. Not good in beekeepers unfiltered honey or cut comb. I never use the stuff.

That tends to suggest we are content to allow sugar in our honey along with hive detritus. Not something I would even want to consume.

 

[Rory Fields]

My hubby suffered from a bad back in his 20s had a major operation and they wanted to do another. The physio said back stroke swimming was v good for building up supporting muscles and would help his condition a lot. Hubbie said he wasn’t a strong swimmer and didn’t have much time then and she said “learn and make time!”. He did and turned down the 2nd op. He’s now 40 years older and swims 3x a week for a mile. His back is pain free and strong. Recommend you try back stroke and stick at it.

Sounds as though it would work wonders tbh - I'm always nervous of crashing my head into the end of the pool though, and the Tyne where I'm at is more rock and rapids than swimmable

 

[JamezF]

Sounds as though it would work wonders tbh - I'm always nervous of crashing my head into the end of the pool though, and the Tyne where I'm at is more rock and rapids than swimmable

It certainly may not be all, but many public pools these days have flags above the pool five metres from the wall (they're required if/when the pool is used for racing). So you count strokes as you pass under the flags, perhaps being a bit conservative at first and underestimating how many strokes it will take to get from the flags to the wall, but it becomes quite reliable with practice. Competitive swimmers will make it look very easy going under the flags and something like one-two-three strokes, roll, tumble, BANG! off the wall and into the next length, but it's actually not that hard given a little practice. Same with front crawl. I know when I pass over the "T" at the end of the lane line that I have one more stroke followed by the pull into the tumble, stamp on the wall and away. I never look where I'm going or worry about where the wall is. If I do it right it will just be where I expect. Or I'll squish some idiot who has stopped in the wrong place, but having 110kg stomp on you unexpectedly turns out to be quite a learning experience so that doesn't happen very often.

Problems tend to occur when lack of confidence forces its way into the consciousness. When coaching people doing backstroke I usually get them to start off taking one stroke after they pass under the flags and then going into the turn. They'll never make that, nor even after two strokes in most cases, but it builds confidence that you can carry on steaming up the pool and won't smack your head on the wall. It can get a bit more messy when they end up wanting a half-stroke to hit the wall correctly, but it's not anything that can't be sorted out.

James