feeding bees

[encle]

Hi
I thought I'd feed my bees, so cut up some fondant and put it under the roof of the hive.
The only thing it's attracted is ants, it's been there 4 days
And yes there are bees in the hive!

What's going on? (... and yes I'm a newbie).

Encle

 

[peteinwilts]

I have problems with red ants later in summer, although the bees kick them out of the hive, they often crawl over it looking for weak spots.

At this time of year various critters can sneak in.

I tried non drying gutter paint around the legs, which reduced them but did not get rid of them completely.

In the end I got a couple of ant killer (in a container... i forget the name!). the hole was too small for any bees to wonder in, but the ants disapeared for the rest of the year.

I don't tend to like killing such things in the wild as they genuinely useful, but as they were making the bees bad tempered and I was getting covered with them (and biting), they had to go!

 

[encle]

I'm not too bothered about the ants, what I want to know is why aren't the bees taking any interest in the fondant?

 

[broandy]

I'm not too bothered about the ants, what I want to know is why aren't the bees taking any interest in the fondant?

lol lol
ok here we go is it on top of the crown board
is there a hole in the crown board
maybe they are more intrested on bringing nector back to your hive then the fondant

 

[encle]

it's on the crown board, and yes there is a hole in the crown board! I will post a pic tonight.
i thought i was doing them a favour, ingrates!

 

[bushman1872]

they may not need it, same as when you feed them for winter they will take as much as they want and then stop. Some people are starting to feed small amounts of weak (1 to 1) syrup this contains vital water that the bees need when rearing brood.

 

[melon]

I've just been to remove insulation from the roof and check on fondant. All but one hive had emptied their fondant, and most of them had started building wild comb in the plastic pot! I don't think I'll bother with fondant, unless it turns cold again, as the blossoms are starting to come out now.

There is quite a pile of fondant under a couple of hives and loads of pollen. I suppose they must be quite clumsy, dropping bits and then they fall through the open mesh floor.

 

[melon]

I forgot to say that they have been really busy collecting water from the pond lately, so perhaps if it turns cold, I would feed them sugar syrup. I don't want to build up the colony, but prevent them from starving.

 

[encle]

here you go, fondant under roof.
guess i'll take it off tomorrow.

 

[broandy]

Is your queen excluder on under your crown board
I can see the ants having a feast looooooool

 

[grizzly]

Plop your fondant directly over the hole in the CB, ensuring that the CB is directly over the frames with nothing in between, they may take some then, but again, only if they want to.

 

[encle]

yep queen excluder is on

 

[Rosti]

Encle, from the pics I think I see the prob here, you have placed the fondant in plastic lids and put on the crown board, you have opened up the two holes that would have had porter escapes in.

The bees do not have direct access to the fondant they must move up through and then across above the crown.

Two suggestions:

1. Remove all fondant and melt it down into 1:1 syrup. place a small feeder above one central hole, block the other (what I would do - say 0.5-1.0 ltr /week until mid April)

2. If you want to stick to fondant as a back-up the again block the outside hole and place one block directly over the central hole (no tray underneath of course), with it self supported on to the QE, place an upturned pot above it to seal - you then have direct access.

Edit add: just seen grizzly's post, so, if you want to use fondant then I agree with him!

 

[tonybloke]

strange way to feed fondant! I put fondant into a chinese takeaway container, (about 6" x 4" x 2") then invert container over feed hole in crown board. ant's can't get at it!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi
I thought I'd feed my bees, so cut up some fondant and put it under the roof of the hive.
The only thing it's attracted is ants, it's been there 4 days
And yes there are bees in the hive!

What's going on? (... and yes I'm a newbie).

Encle

Encle

i live a few hundred yards from you, and my bees have four full 14x12 of honey and soft granulated ivy pollen, nectar being evaporated down in the brood area and eggs everywhere so i suspect you bees will have similar stores

lots of nectar in cherry, and blackthorn around coldfall woods and Creighton#finchley allotments, all nectar rich

fondant, well fed some in December and a bit of pollen substitute in early march

remember london is a micro climate out of kilter with the books by up to two weeks

 

[Bryanthebee]

it looks like to me that your cb holes still have the mesh over them which need removing, but this time of the year most bee keepers will be giving 1-1 to aid broad rearing.

 

[encle]

many thanks for all the advice, I might take most of the fondant away and just leave one bit over the cb hole.