Hard Stores

[Beedogg]

The lower Brood Box on a double-brood colony has most frames full of very hard stores; probably deriving from the fondant that was on the hive. I'm hoping that the bees clear out the lower brood box so that I can take it off and re-cycle it.
Will they?

 

[Erichalfbee]

probably deriving from the fondant that was on the hive.

Fondant will look just like honey
The solid stores might be ivy? Have you any in the area?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the dangers of piling on too much supplementary feed throughout the winter

 

[Sutty]

the dangers of piling on too much supplementary feed throughout the winter

Would you expect this to be left over honey (with them eating the fondant), or stored fondant?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Would you expect this to be left over honey (with them eating the fondant), or stored fondant?

they will store fondant, but as Dani says, bees don't cart little lumps of fondant and pack it into the comb - they water it diwn, store it in their honey stomachs then convert it into 'honey', the same as they do with 2:1 or 1:1 sugar syrup. looks like in this case, a lot of the ivy honey has been stashed away and the bees have quite wisely kept the stores and use whatever was offered later.

 

[Beedogg]

the dangers of piling on too much supplementary feed throughout the winter

So, what's the answer? Will they clear the ivy nectar, if that's what it is?

 

[Beedogg]

Would you expect this to be left over honey (with them eating the fondant), or stored fondant?

We have quite a lot of ivy here. So it could be that.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So, what's the answer? Will they clear the ivy nectar, if that's what it is?

if they need food they'll eat it - as long as you don't give them something easier to assimilate

 

[Antipodes]

So, what's the answer? Will they clear the ivy nectar, if that's what it is?

What is the size of the colony -as in the number of bees?

 

[Sutty]

If you put frames of it next to the nest as they want to expand it they will clear it out.

 

[Do224]

If you put frames of it next to the nest as they want to expand it they will clear it out.

Where to? Supers?

 

[Sutty]

Where to? Supers?

Either eat it or move it,depending on what they need.