Fondant price

[Finman]

Perhaps you brought a little bit of Finland with you?

Fact is that the weather and low pressures come from British Isles to Finland 2 days later.

We have had in these days 6- 8C day temps . All time heat record of December was achieved in Finland two days ago, 11C.

In western winds airmasses go over Norwegian mountains. Their moisture rains down. Then wind comes down over Sweden and air masses warm up several degrees.(fön phenomenom)

 

[Brian Bush]

I can see both sides of this argument sugar syrup v fondant.
It is the assumed logic that syrup can cause problems when it is cold and that fondant needs the bees to collect water.
I have always avoided syrup in cold weather. Fondant on the other hand is much more like the consistency of honey and not as hard as rape or ivy honey. The inside of a hive will have limited supplies of water from condensation of the water vapour released by the breathing of bees. I have read that this is a source of water when bees are confined to the hives by cold weather.
Finman's way of feeding the syrup is novel. Maybe we should put it down as a possible alternative. If it has worked for him for many years it may work for us. It may only work when we have these higher temperatures but assuming the harsher winter climate in Finland it may only be required when it is warmer as this year. Most years our bees and the Finnish bees would be clustered tight and using little feed at this time of year.

 

[maddydog]

If it's warm enough for bees to forage is it not warm enough for 2:1 syrup?

 

[foghornleghorn]

Anyone know of a good irish supplier? Thought €50 for 15kg was fairly dear

 

[Finman]

.
My bees are in cluster every year. I do not feed them between October-March. Their food stores are so good in polyhives.

But our hives cannot have brooding during winter. Those surely die, which have.

I do not compare our wintering, but when hive has brood, it condumes much, but the colony is so warm too, that it can handle syrup.
.

 

[Finman]

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It is almost January now. It is long time to surplus foraging. Hives will consume huge amount of expencive food before April and brooding accelerates.

Lets count 30 hives. 10 kg/hive. Up to rape blooming, or is it even 20 kg. Who knows what they will need.

300 kg x £ 0.5 = £ 150.
5 fold is 750.

At least to me 600 is money, when I have saved it after normal costs.

 

[Finman]

If it's warm enough for bees to forage is it not warm enough for 2:1 syrup?

Yeah. Normally bees are fed, when they cannot forage for bad weather. At least I buy bees' sugar from Lidl despite of weathers.

 

[Tom Bick]

just interested in what appears to be a novel method of emergency feeding ... anyone else done it this way over here ?

Yes I have tried it on the odd occasion a comb or two and it works really well and you will be surprised just how much an empty comb holds. Try it with water as an experiment. Found it works best on 1-1 and on the thicker 2-1 not as good as air trapped in the cells restrict the syrup.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Syrup comb filling machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcq1mMz0mQ0&index=15&list=UUO9eGDOgjDhtt7vWQ9BrT4g

....and another...
Part (1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mhd72led8k&index=6&list=UUO9eGDOgjDhtt7vWQ9BrT4g

Part(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0IHurr3J6g&index=14&list=UUO9eGDOgjDhtt7vWQ9BrT4g

Also dry granulated sugar tipped into empty combs and given a light misting with water from a hand held sprayer works quite well.

 

[drex]

Yes I have tried it on the odd occasion a comb or two and it works really well and you will be surprised just how much an empty comb holds. Try it with water as an experiment. Found it works best on 1-1 and on the thicker 2-1 not as good as air trapped in the cells restrict the syrup.

A couple of years ago I opened a hive on verge of winter starvation, and having read about this gave it a try. Worked a treat. Makes sense as takes less bee energy to get to the feed. I also used 1:1.
Followed it up with fondant once they had picked up.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a couple of brood combs filled with invertbee in the freezer. Usually I have the bees' own stores but there was none to spare this year.

 

[Finman]

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When you pour into combs, keep the combs in slanting position. Then pour quite high, that liguid drops with forge into cells. Get some practice

There is too difference, is that comb wet or dry, new or old.

Make trials, and you notice what is good.

 

[Tom Bick]

A couple of years ago I opened a hive on verge of winter starvation, and having read about this gave it a try. Worked a treat. Makes sense as takes less bee energy to get to the feed. I also used 1:1.
Followed it up with fondant once they had picked up.

Found the trick works best on new beekeepers who have asked me to check their hive and as a boost I suggest we give them a bit of syrup. A slight panic as they rush around for a feeder and the look on their faces when you simply remove an empty frame fill with syrup frame back in hive job done.

 

[Finman]

Found the trick works best on new beekeepers who have asked me to check their hive and as a boost I suggest we give them a bit of syrup. A slight panic as they rush around for a feeder and the look on their faces when you simply remove an empty frame fill with syrup frame back in hive job done.

That I use mostly. 2 frames takes in quite much sugar. Then later, when I inspect, I move capped food frames others hives, which have too much.

 

[Finman]

.
I read from Canadian beekeeping letters, that it is better to use 2:3 syrup to add stores. When bees dry up 1:1 syrup, and extra water makes condensation in the hive during cold weathers. It needs more work to fill combs with strong syrup, but my freetime is free.

.

 

[beesknee]

fondant

I got 8 packs of api candy off a well known supplier for 2.50 a kilo, handy and easy to put on hives, tried making candy always ends up like bell metal. Some of my hives are very short of stores and were well fed, saw a queen bumble bee on heather in the garden. What does that tell you!!?

Very expensive, I will let you have Ambrosia fondant for 1/2 that price

 

[biglongdarren]

Anyone know of a good irish supplier? Thought €50 for 15kg was fairly dear

I paid £57 for 5 12.5kg blocks of fondant yesterday at Lisburn,Andrews Ingredients.

 

[oliver90owner]

£2.50 a kilogram? I bought 10kg of sugar, yesterday, for £4.50. Couldn't be doing with hunting for a best price.

That would make about 11.5kg of fondant with about a quids worth of glucose and a little effort.

It was not for fondant and not even for my bees; it will be used for a few fermenting jobs - additions to some kits and for high ABV alcohol for fortified wines, etc.

The next will be, I think, about a kilo and a half addition for a pear cider kit going on shortly.

Merry Christmas.