Looking for Fondant?

[wightbees]

Or a sweat tooth

 

[Jafer2]

lol no not a world record or a sweet tooth. it was for a 4 tier wedding cake. She makes cakes as you might guess but not her profession just something on the side and something she enjoys doing.

 

[oliver90owner]

She over-ordered by a huge amount, by any way one might look at it, unless it was completely made of icing!

One cannot compare fondant directly to dry sugar. Fondant contains 1112% water. So Polyhive's £2.36 is likely rather underestimated. Some of us sharper ones do take note of these little discrepancies.

 

[Poly Hive]

Eh?

So damn sharp the blood is there for all to see. LOLOL

PH

 

[sean-a]

Local BKA just had a pallet load at £9.55
I think that I have ordered waayyyy too much given how busy the hives are at the moment.
It doesn't go off though!

 

[Poly Hive]

I have kept it for over five years with no issues.

I never claimed I had found the cheapest deal I merely wanted to let others know that there was another way of obtaining it if like me you are pretty isolated from the big boys (some of whom no longer stock it)

Nor was I saying this is the way to winter feed. I use it as an insurance.

I hefted a couple of days ago and could hardly get the boxes off the ground so the HB has performed. Actually we cut a walk by the river short yesterday as our dogs were too curious about the spate going on but I saw a honey bee exiting a HB flower, and also yesterday I saw HB obvious bees at my entrances so I am pretty sure where their winter stores are coming from.

As this is my first winter at this location I am being conservative and cautious until I have a better understanding of the local conditions as any canny and sensible person would. The HB has come as a very welcome surprise for instance.

A quick google will show the water content of fondant which is approx 12.5% and I like that as it makes it easy for the bees to use provided it is prevented from drying out by covering it.

PH

 

[Bosleeu]

It arrived this morning at 11am so not too bad at all.

This is not for emergency feeding this is the winter feed. I leave my colonies alone until Jan and then feed from then on. Works very well for me, has done so for many years now, and some might benefit from not being so damn sharp.

PH

I have used fondant only as Autumn feed for the last two seasons . Love not having to make and ferry syrup around anymore. Bees seem to do well on it as well. In my opinion well worth the extra money considering the ease of use and time saved.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[REDWOOD]

There is invertbee for those who don't have the time or patience to make up feed.
Interested to know how much sugar is in a 14kg container

 

[Tremyfro]

Last year I made up some damp sugar in takeaway cartons. After Autumn feeding we left one on each hive...for insurance really as hefting Beehausies is not for the faint hearted or the feeble elderly. Some was taken but not much....it was an easy option and fitted under the roof of the Beehause easily. On the poly hives we had to use an eke and pack sheeps wool in the empty space. I have previously used fondant but it was such a sticky mess as it absorbed the moisture from the hive and dripped down the frames.

 

[philipm]

I had some that lasted about 3 years just gave it a quick blast in the microwave before use just to soften it up a bit.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have previously used fondant but it was such a sticky mess as it absorbed the moisture from the hive and dripped down the frames.


No my experience is the direct opposite. I cover my fondant in plastic to stop it drying out.

I can truly say I have never seen it get wet and runny. Climate I wonder?

PH

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Yes it can go awful sticky the beemans sugar blocks work well in that situation

 

[sipa]

There is invertbee for those who don't have the time or patience to make up feed.
Interested to know how much sugar is in a 14kg container

invertbee is 73% solids, so 10.22 kg

 

[Tremyfro]

I have previously used fondant but it was such a sticky mess as it absorbed the moisture from the hive and dripped down the frames.


No my experience is the direct opposite. I cover my fondant in plastic to stop it drying out.

I can truly say I have never seen it get wet and runny. Climate I wonder?

PH

Yes the weather I think, as the hives are not actually wet at all....just the high humidity. Wales is known for its moisture content ..lol. So I'm not so keen on fondant now.
The sugar blocks worked well and they are easy to make. I just mixed the sugar with some water with a few drops of Hivemakers recipe in it and gave it a good mix up...put it in the cartons and left it on the radiators to dry out. Before putting it on the hives I spray the surface with some water.
I stack them with the lids on in the Bee Shed. Although this year 'someone' left some in the Bee Shed with no lids on...and we had a billion wasps in there. Which meant I couldn't go in without full protection on but it meant that the wasps left the bees alone so not such a disaster after all.

 

[Jessybee]

Ive fed fondant to my girls past 2 autumns. Clingfilmed to stop it drying out and buy it from local bakers £8 for 12.5kg box. Always seen them through till spring and they love it!

 

[REDWOOD]

invertbee is 73% solids, so 10.22 kg

Thanks for that. Not a bad price for the stuff especially if you have your own containers

 

[Finman]

invertbee is 73% solids, so 10.22 kg

Mad price, 25€.

With normal sugar price you get 50 litre syrup. Now 10 litres.

Inverting has no meaning to bees. Normal sugar is as good as honey.



.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Inverting has no meaning to bees

So why do they do it.

 

[Finman]

So why do they do it.

To make profit. .
.

 

[Anduril]

To make profit. .
.

The bees!