fondant question..

[biglongdarren]

i fed my three hives all well in the autumn and they all brought in plenty of ivy,they all seemed good and strong and i started feeding then fondant a week before christmas just because it was my first winter and i wasnt sure and didnt want them to starve,i bought a 12.5kg box of the stuff and after they eat whats in now with them and i fill up there containers again it will be all gone.
When i bought the box at the start i never dreamt they'd eat it all,is this about normal or what?
Darren

 

[MuswellMetro]

i fed my three hives all well in the autumn and they all brought in plenty of ivy,they all seemed good and strong and i started feeding then fondant a week before christmas just because it was my first winter and i wasnt sure and didnt want them to starve,i bought a 12.5kg box of the stuff and after they eat whats in now with them and i fill up there containers again it will be all gone.
When i bought the box at the start i never dreamt they'd eat it all,is this about normal or what?
Darren

they are probably eating the fondant instead of the ivy honey which has crystalised

i normally remove the ivy frames left overin spring but trying PHs method this year of bruising the IVY stores so they move it

how heavy are ther hive, do they need the fondant, most of mine have only taken about 300g to 500g out of 1kg of fondant since December

 

[Midland Beek]

They do not necessarily 'eat' the fondant. Thet put it in combs just like they would any other type of income.

 

[richardbees]

"they are probably eating the fondant instead of the ivy honey which has crystalised"

Agree 100% There's a lot of ivy near me which is useful for pollen but the honey is a pain, I also remove and bin in the spring....

 

[cheshirehives]

All 3 of my hives have only taken about half a kilo patty of fondant each as they pretty much filled a super and half with balsam and ivy honey back end of the season so they're doing ok. If we get a milder day maybe bruise the frames if it's crystalised ivy honey which may encourage them onto it. My preference would be to exhaust the ivy honey but will rely on a balance of milder days, activity and water availability.

 

[drex]

They do not necessarily 'eat' the fondant. Thet put it in combs just like they would any other type of income.

Can more experienced comment to clarify? I had read on here before that they do not store fondant. Mine are only steadily eating fondant, the most they have consumed is about 1 Kg since putting it on at new year, one hive hardly touched it. Did they need it? Do not know as just a beginner hedging my bets, and little experience of hefting yet. If they store it I might not do this again next year

 

[biglongdarren]

one hive has ate a full chinese container of fondant that a placedin on monday afternoon and it was all gone today when i looked.

 

[oliver90owner]

Drex,

I have never experieced the bees taking it down for storage in the winter and would not expect them to do so (energy required for processing). They obviously do this when it is warmer (autumn feeding).

Perhaps someone who feeds fondant in the autumn might know the percentage moisture it is stored at? I would guess it would be similar to honey and likely processed along with nectar anyway. Not quite the same in winter, unless stored at about 14% moisture!

They may well start to store it as the weather warms and a nectar flow becomes available.....

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

one hive has ate a full chinese container of fondant that a placedin on monday afternoon and it was all gone today when i looked.

lots of variables, type of bee, did the Q keep laying, total stores, size of brood, temperature, is the hive in shade or sun, standard frame or 14x12

so we will find it diffuclt to advise, but likley scenerio is that they are light on stores

my hives which were heavy going into winter ( 6x14x12++ of stores at least 40+lbs) have taken only 500g since christmas, a carnolian x hive however with same stores has taken 3Kg

 

[Vergilius]

This is the advantage with feeding sugar syrup in the Autumn; ivy honey crystallises whereas sygar syrup doesn't.


Ben P

 

[frenchbees]

I have a similar situation. Fed 7 kilos sugar syrup in autumn, then put on full super (14 kg approx), that was empty in early January and they have now nearly finished 8 kilos fondant!
Forecast for warm day tomorrow so hopefully I can check bb for stores.
They have been bringing in loads of pollen recently.

 

[Vergilius]

I have a similar situation. Fed 7 kilos sugar syrup in autumn, then put on full super (14 kg approx), that was empty in early January and they have now nearly finished 8 kilos fondant!
Forecast for warm day tomorrow so hopefully I can check bb for stores.
They have been bringing in loads of pollen recently.

This does seem an awful lot... Stores-guzzling is a very undesirable genetic characteristic...


Ben P