fondant replacement

[666bees]

I have a block of fondant above the hole in the crown board which is about to be used up. It is still covered by the plastic covering on the top. Should I replace it at night when hopefully the bees wont be feeding on it or will I have to wait until they have completely finished it to replace it?

 

[MJBee]

I have just replaced some fondant on one of my colonies. I waited for a sunny day when the bees were flying, removed the empty plastic, smoked the bees down into the hive, placed a new pack over the feed hole. The bees in the empty pack I shook out in front of the hive.

I chose to do it by day in sunshine because when you remove the old pack the bees rush out to find out what is going on and any stragglers can find their way home while it is still warm. I would not recommend doing this in the dark.
Mike

 

[winmag270]

I have just replaced some fondant on one of my colonies. I waited for a sunny day when the bees were flying, removed the empty plastic, smoked the bees down into the hive, placed a new pack over the feed hole. The bees in the empty pack I shook out in front of the hive.

I chose to do it by day in sunshine because when you remove the old pack the bees rush out to find out what is going on and any stragglers can find their way home while it is still warm. I would not recommend doing this in the dark.
Mike

egg zackary what i do...!

 

[bushman1872]

I just went up on an average day and very quickly lifted the lid and popped the fondant on. I decided against smoke as i din't want them to consume their stores even quicker.
But agree possibly not a great idea in the dark.

 

[MuswellMetro]

. Should I replace it at night when hopefully the bees wont be feeding on it

The bees are in the dark 24/7, Don't think they stop feeding as how do they tell night from day inside the hive

look at this beecam

http://www.sysonby.com/beecam/

and if you have ever have to open up a hive at night, the first thing you would find is that they attack the light of the torch,

 

[Vergilius]

Or feed them on a cold day when they will be in a cluster rather than active.


Ben P

 

[Rosti]

A different view granted! I cannot get to my apiary as often as some of you so my advice would be simple. Change it when you can, too soon rather than too late, better to remove a little unused fondant than loose a colony, better to loose a few adhering bees than loose a colony (i feed onto a QE so no chance of those adhering bees including the queen). Better a cold day than not at all. Continuity of feed more important than how you get continuity of feed. Its not like you are performing a significant intervention into the combs and done efficiently you are open for a couple of minutes tops.

 

[drstitson]

"they attack the light of the torch"

I've done plenty of nocturnal visits due to work commitments - either use no torch or a red filter so they can't see it.