Feeding Time at our Hive

[cotfor]

Hello to you all

I thought you would like to see this photo. My husband had the idea of using my old washing machine glass door as a fondant feeder for our bees. It was a great success and when you need to give more fondant all that is needed is a little smoke and they all go back down into the hive stick the fondant on the glass and replace it job done and as an added bonus you can see how well your bees are!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

A lot of us here use polycarbonate crown boards with a thin layer of fondant added underneath if necessary. That way you can see the bees and how fondant levels are AND maintain a layer of insulation on top.

 

[itma]

A lot of us here use polycarbonate crown boards with a thin layer of fondant added underneath if necessary. That way you can see the bees and how fondant levels are AND maintain a layer of insulation on top.

and would add that bigger chunks of fondant can be accommodated if you put a small eke under the crownboard.
See-through crownboards are a fantastic beekeeping accessory!

But yes, those following the (less logical) route of putting fondant over a crownboard hole (which shouldn't be there!) are indeed better advised to use a see-through container than one that hides the fondant/bee situation.

 

[pargyle]

Hello to you all

I thought you would like to see this photo. My husband had the idea of using my old washing machine glass door as a fondant feeder for our bees. It was a great success and when you need to give more fondant all that is needed is a little smoke and they all go back down into the hive stick the fondant on the glass and replace it job done and as an added bonus you can see how well your bees are!!!

Recycling at its best !! Love it ...

 

[dn170221]

Love the photo, innovative idea!!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[cotfor]

Many thanks for your advice should have mentioned that the roof is insulated and that there is eke in place but any advice is welcome as I am new at beekeeping.

 

[HM Honey]

Love the Photo cotfor.... What a great use of something that would be thrown away otherwise....

Its great that you are learning early on that the road to be followed in bee keeping doesnt always have to be done exactly how it tells you in the books....

Try it...if it works, do it again....if it doesnt....dont do it again....

Great attitude to have...

 

[itma]

Many thanks for your advice should have mentioned that the roof is insulated and that there is eke in place but any advice is welcome as I am new at beekeeping.

The photo shows the fondant above a crownboard.
You'd need an eke of some sort to provide headroom for the glass fondant cover.

What I was suggesting was putting the fondant AND the eke *under* the crownboard.
Normally there would be just 8mm of beespace under the crownboard, which severely limits the amount of fondant that can be put on the frame topbars.
Using a 50mm eke allows you to put 2 inch thick slabs of fondant right where the bees can most easily access it.
When it gets properly cold, it is very hard for bees to leave their cluster, go through a central hole, and then up to the fondant. So hard that they may not be able to do it. Much more easily accessible if there is fondant directly available at the top of each and every frame.

And the see-through ("polycarbonate") coverboard lets you see when more is needed without fully opening the hive.
And also there is no need for a hole in the crownboard (which lets heat out!)

 

[Tom Bick]

May be a bit much for a new beekeeper but what would be great is to leave it on the hive throughout the season and watch the bees fill it with comb. It would be like your own personal observation hive and at the end of the year slice it off with a cheese wire a couple of desert spoons happy days.

 

[itma]

May be a bit much for a new beekeeper but what would be great is to leave it on the hive throughout the season and watch the bees fill it with comb. It would be like your own personal observation hive and at the end of the year slice it off with a cheese wire a couple of desert spoons happy days.

Tom, a see-through coverboard would be an awful lot less trouble, and very nearly as good an 'observation hive'. Even though, unless you eft the eke in, it wouldn't deliver any comb honey!

 

[Tom Bick]

I would put money on they will fill it full of comb and honey.

 

[itma]

I would put money on they will fill it full of comb and honey.

We are talking at cross purposes - while agreeing!

If you left this dish on too late into the Spring (or my suggestion of an eke under a clear coverboard), the bees will definitely want to draw comb in the void and fill the comb with honey.

My 'observation' suggestion (avoiding wild comb) is a clear coverboard. But for 'observation' through the season, don't leave the fondant-feeding eke in place through the season, unless you really want the experience of dealing with wild comb!

Getting the eke out allows 'observation' through the clear coverboard without wild comb. Leaving the glass dish in place is certain to give wild comb for 'observation' (and nuisance).

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes itma I have just re read the thread and I was commenting on the hive set up in the original post. Your posts are valid but as we know most fondant feeding takes place without the risk of starvation and feeding over the feed hole acceptable (I am a fan of this approach) but if starvation was an issue then your system is the way to go. I think I will place a clear bowl over one of my hives this year as I think it will be interesting and thanks to the op for idea

 

[Torq]

Here are my girls having a feed on monday.

There are a few casualties on top of the fondant that didn't move fast enough when the crownboard was going down. incidentally the crown board is made of 4mm polycarb which was recycled from a broken crisp display rack "found" at the back of Tesco. Every little helps!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think I will place a clear bowl over one of my hives this year as I think it will be interesting and thanks to the op for idea

I know this has been shown here before but always good for another look

 

[HM Honey]

Every little helps!

 

[fiftyjon]

May be a bit much for a new beekeeper but what would be great is to leave it on the hive throughout the season and watch the bees fill it with comb. It would be like your own personal observation hive and at the end of the year slice it off with a cheese wire a couple of desert spoons happy days.

Nice little exercise and a treat at the end.