fondant going hard

[barry]

Have been feeding my bees fondant for a good few weeks now and have noticed when I've ckecked on them that the fondant goes hard I suppose due to the cold weather, they still seem to be munching on it though its taking a while for them to get through it. Will this be a problem for the bees in the long run, I'm wondering if they are struggling with it . Will adding glycerine to it help to keep it soft.

 

[Mike a]

Did you wrap the fondant in anything and where did you place it??

If required they will collect a little water so nothing to worry about.

 

[barry]

The fondant is in a shallow plastic tub on the crownboard over one of the holes , should it still be wrapped in clingfilm. The hive is situated by a stream so the bees do have a water source very close by so I suppose they should be ok then.

 

[Vergilius]

I think a sealed plastic tub probably does the same job...

Ben P

 

[winmag270]

i put a slab of fondant into a freezer bag, knot it closed, kneed it into a suitably flat shape, then when i need to put it "onto" a hive, I keep it in the warm overnight, so it's pliable, then at the hive cut an "X" in the freezer bag, peel back the wings, off with the roof, place freezer bag with the peeled back "X" over the hole in the crown board (if bees visible, do nothing / no bees, press fondant downwards) roof on, go home, coffee

total roof off time, less than 30 seconds

fondant done in freezer bags like this has always been pliable enough the times i've checked it to see how the colony in question was taking it