Feeding fondant

[porterswoods]

My fondant has just been delivered. Whilst looking at it on the kitchen table, with a coffee in hand, i was pondering how was the best way to feed it.

After much pondering i thought i would ask fellow beeks how they did it.

Cheers
James

 

[Rosti]

Haven't fed it yet James but have a stock available for use.

I plan to feed traditional double syrup for my autumn build up feed. Before leaving the bees to it (mid Oct?) I will place a 3" eke on top of the qe and using it for support and will fill the eke with fondant by cutting it to size but focussed above the centre third of the qe since that is closest to the likely brood ball location. The girls can take it when they want. On a warm day early Jan I'll check and top up if I need to.

..... based on the posts that follow I might be doing something completely different!

 

[porterswoods]

I came up with plenty of ways in the short time it took to drink my coffee, I'm sure there will be ways mentioned that i would not of thought of in a million years.

 

[sss]

http://www.hertsbees.org.uk/bee_tips/feeding_bees_with_bakers_fo.html

 

[peteinwilts]

Won't the super tower allow the hive to cool?? Surely the bees should be as near to the top as possible!?!

 

[Rosti]

Won't the super tower allow the hive to cool?? Surely the bees should be as near to the top as possible!?!

Pete, It's not a super and I will be using polystyrene to insulate around and above the fondant. You are right there is a balance to be had between making a food source available and compromising hive temperature, that why I have a specially made small eke [65mm - B&Q sourced soft wood & cheap] I wld also use under the qe if administering Apiguard. If you are going to 'on demand' feed over winter then you've got to be able to intermitently monitor with minimal winter disruption, so it must go on top. Don't you think?

 

[peteinwilts]

"Supers can then be stacked back on top so that the bees have access to clean them and keep them free from wax moth damage."

...shouldn't the bees overwinter as near to the top of the hive as possible? The heat generated by the bees would rise into the supers above...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Pete, that bit is optional,not compulsory,just showing you can,if you wish. I would not.You are correct,too much heat loss,vain space.

 

[Rosti]

Sorry Pete, crossed purposes! I agree with you, stacking as in the article must cause heat loss - unless removed when the combs are clean since that is the claimed reason for doing it. R

 

[BKF Admin]

Last winter I lost a colony to Vain space with an empty super above the brood box,that was at -12c not -40c

 

[Hivemaker.]

Gets that cold down there near to the equator does it.

 

[Eyeman]

I use a crown board over the BB and seal one feeder hole up and over the other I put a margarine tub with fondant in. Above the crown board is an eke to provide space for the tub. The tub seals off the hive and gets the warmth from the brood so they haven't had probelms in accessing it. Also its easy to repace and or top up when necesary.

 

[BKF Admin]

Gets that cold down there near to the equator does it.

It does !

My microclimate weather station trend software has given me this result:

Coldest night: -12.2 °C on 10/01/2009

Yesterday's top temp was: 25.5°C