fondant to syrup

[Heather]

Advice please.
What are the hive indications as to the timing to go from fondant feed to 1:1 syrup.
I live in the south temp 8-9d - but still wet bees flying but not actively)

 

[mbc]

I like to wait for a reasonable sized brood cycle to hatch so theres young bees to process the syrup-timing around about daffodil time

 

[Heather]

Thanks for that. I am opening for the first time this year to examine so can assess.

 

[Poly Hive]

I need to wait a week Heather you should be thinking about it now.

PH

 

[Heather]

Ok Pete, you know my area- pan on

 

[mbc]

willow will provide pollen most days but will only give necter on the nicest days so a bit of syrup can help but beware of trying to boost struggling colonies with syrup as you can kill them with kindness

 

[Poly Hive]

If they are struggling to the point where a drop of syrup kills them they are doomed anyway.

Feed on but mind just a half a frame feeder at a time, a pint only. Once a week. Avoids the potential brood area getting blocked by storing syrup.

PH

 

[Heather]

and Pete, have a couple of colonies with crystallised food in a super which they are nearly ignoring. Do I take off and syrup gently or put that super under the brood for them to make better use of - and still 1/2 frame feed syrup

 

[cstroud]

I have have been thinking about the same question this week as I have been making another batch of fondant for my hungry bees (4 out of 6 are very light). My old beekeeping friend reminds me that they should be fed very slowly and only when they will not be storing the syrup directly, so I am thinking a couple more weeks of fondant.

next year they will all have a super to see them through, I don't want to be in this situation next year if poss.

Chris

 

[Poly Hive]

Cstroud you do not say where you are so canna comment. It is not useful really so say UK as that covers some 600 miles north to south and my advice to Heather is not one I would give to a tyro in Caithness.

I DO know where Heather is and she is in a very climatically advanced area compared to the rest of the UK.

I would take of that super Heather as it is acting as a heat sink. When you have colonies romping on with 7 or 8 frames of brood then see if they will clean it out from under the brood nest.

PH

 

[Heather]

Will do - thanks Pete

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Have I just had the answer to a question that has been puzzling me? IE what do you do with a half-filled overwintered super one your ladies are back at their active selves? I assume you can't leave it where it is, since they will just fill up the rest of the space and you get two seasons' honey in the same super (is that a problem?). But it would be a pity to waste it.

As a newbeek, I had been thinking of leaving it for another couple of weeks before going in to my hives (bees are flying on good days, but not in vast numbers, or with real vigour - some gorse/willow about and one or two daffs now appearing). But should I be getting in there now?

 

[Poly Hive]

There is no need yet to be doing full blown in spections.

Certainly here today it hit the dizzy heights of 10C but not for long.

At this time all I want to do is slap and slurp. A drop of syrup and a pollen pattie, and so far it has been too cold to even start that.

Patience.... the best tool a beekeeper has.

PH

 

[cstroud]

Hi,
yes sorry I am in North Worcestershire- just south of Birmingham.

Chris