Nucs and fondant

[Hivetool2021]

Hi all, i have few nucs which I'm going to over winter on inspection I noticed they are getting a little light, I really don't want to use syrup, as its the month of wasps, I'm thinking if feeding fondant, has any one else had experience of doing this and reducing robbing by wasps.

Cheers

Paul

 

[elainemary]

Hi all, i have few nucs which I'm going to over winter on inspection I noticed they are getting a little light, I really don't want to use syrup, as its the month of wasps, I'm thinking if feeding fondant, has any one else had experience of doing this and reducing robbing by wasps.

Cheers

Paul

Have definitely read fondant and inverted syrup do not cause robbing like syrup but think you just have to be careful re dropping any syrup and it’s safe to put on early evening. Just keep entrance to the Nuc small.

I put some syrup on a couple of Nucs this evening about 7pm just before rain started when all the flyers in nearby hives were at home and no wasps about. I did consider putting fondant on instead, but as I am wanting the bees to draw comb in Nuc extension, I thought syrup would be better for this.

I’d also be interested in what others say & whether fondant is effective for drawing comb in Nucs at this time of year

 

[Ian123]

In terms of bang for buck and effects on your Nucs you won’t beat syrup. It will simulate a flow and small regular amounts fed will help them develop. However you can happily feed fondant just don’t go paying silly suppliers prices, and yes it probably is less likely to draw wasp attention. So pays your money take your choice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Have definitely read fondant and inverted syrup do not cause robbing

Yeah right
Seen wasps go crazy over a slab of fondant in the bee shed, cleared a whole 12 kilos in a little over a week.
Why should invert syrup be any different to bog standard sugar syrup? The most important trick is that, when feeding you don't spill any and it's better to do it late evening when there's less of a chance of a nosy bee stumbling on the source as you top up.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I wanted to add if you do use fondant keep it in the wrapping as much as possible less chance they will smell it, I plan to use fondant on the out apiaries this autumn mainly because I don't want to be having to travel around loads.
Syrup or invert at the closer apiarys and the home one.
(Work I'm leaving honey) and if some of the colonys are a good weight at home from the heather /ivy fingers x , they will winter on there own stores.
I would rather winter colonys on there own stores if I could but I know this isn't going to happen.

 

[user 20297]

Yeah right
Seen wasps go crazy over a slab of fondant in the bee shed, cleared a whole 12 kilos in a little over a week.
Why should invert syrup be any different to bog standard sugar syrup? The most important trick is that, when feeding you don't spill any and it's better to do it late evening when there's less of a chance of a nosy bee stumbling on the source as you top up.

That's true; it's all sugar and I don't get it how fully dissolved sugar is supposedly more likely to help the bees draw comb and more solid sugar less likely to attract raiders. I do understand that sugar with a lesser water content will be easier for the bees to preserve.

A lot of descriptions about setting up a Miller (or similar) feeder say to dribble a bit down to the bees "so that they know it's there"; the reason being, "it has no smell" (allegedly). My experience is that bees, even more than wasps, know sugar is around, in whatever the form it's presented to them.

 

[user 819]

My nucs are left with fondant above, all are wooden ones with a eke above take a 1ltr ice cream tub. During winter they do have PIR cosy encasing them the roof is removed. I keep an eye on them once a month.

 

[elainemary]

Yeah right
Seen wasps go crazy over a slab of fondant in the bee shed, cleared a whole 12 kilos in a little over a week.
Why should invert syrup be any different to bog standard sugar syrup? The most important trick is that, when feeding you don't spill any and it's better to do it late evening when there's less of a chance of a nosy bee stumbling on the source as you top up.

Seemed odd to me too. Do bees draw comb with fondant?

 

[Ian123]

Seemed odd to me too. Do bees draw comb with fondant?

Provided you have enough bees they’ll draw/produce wax on any income. Fact remains they’ll do it faster on syrup/liquid. It easy really go give a couple of Nucs a litre of syrup, give another half a kg of fondant. Come back next week and tell us which 1s look better!

 

[elainemary]

Provided you have enough bees they’ll draw/produce wax on any income. Fact remains they’ll do it fast on syrup.

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Seemed odd to me too. Do bees draw comb with fondant?

Look at mating nucs. many (if not the majority) of queen rearers feed only fondant and they draw comb with no issues

 

[elainemary]

Look at mating nucs. many (if not the majority) of queen rearers feed only fondant and they draw comb with no issues

Yes very good point! Thanks