Let’s talk Fondant...

[Finman]

So why do you say that they can’t eat fondant?

In our winter they cannot

 

[Cuttingedge]

In our winter they cannot

They obviously do better on stored honey or syrup but if colonies are low on stores they will eat dry sugar, candy, sugar bricks or fondant.

 

[Finman]

They obviously do better on stored honey or syrup but if colonies are low on stores they will eat dry sugar, candy, sugar bricks or fondant.

I move food frames from hives which have too much sugar frames.

Our hives consume on average 20 kg sugar in 9 months from September to May.
Our bees winter in insulated boxes.

 

[Ian123]

There are times when I am at a loss with what is being described on the forum and this is one of them.

I am thinking the problem is what I call fondant is not what others call whatever it is that they are using as the behaviours are so different.

Here on I am talking about white fondant as used by the baking trade.

It does not drip, in fact, if it has an issue it goes hard.

I feed it on the top bars of the frames.

Holes in crownboards as supplied by the trade are not "feed holes" but apertures for Porter Bee Escapes, and if you use them good luck to you, in my view they are prehistoric rubbish, but moving on....The holes are a bloody menace and people with sense and esp having read Mr D Mitchells works will know better that bees are not fond of chimneys having an aversion to smoke and heat loss.

Arguably my colonies don't need fondant but it gives me peace of mind especially with regards to isolation starvation.

Equally arguably my nucs DO need it and so have it.

Let the **** storm commence.

PH

Got to say i quite like the old crown boards, as far as i am concerned i get 4 uses out 1 bit of kit. stops roofs getting stuck down, feeding syrup or candy, just spin the board until a hole lines up with cluster, clearer board(i do prefer my leaf blower) and even travel screen with mesh fitted to cover the 2 holes

 

[oliver90owner]

I used take-away containers with a cling film cover. Remove container lid, slit cling film, place over a feed hole and cover with a 100mm slab of EPS cut to accommodate the dish.

It never dripped, one can easily see when it is consumed and add another pack by gently sliding across.

Worked a treat and OK for a few hives late in the winter. I now have 25kg of fondant that has not been used for several years. The last 12 1/2 kg was used up on nucs as 14 x 12 colonies, well stocked with stores in the autumn, are more likely to require stores frames removing in spring.

Well insulated hives allow the cluster to move around - more than with uninsulated ones during a really cold snap, while brooding early in the season.