Paradise National - Feeding Fondant

[SteveG]

Purchased 5 Paradise Nationals this season for easy transportation to Heather etc. Suggestions of best way to leave the hive ready to add fondant later without removing inner cover? Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Purchased 5 Paradise Nationals this season for easy transportation to Heather etc. Suggestions of best way to leave the hive ready to add fondant later without removing inner cover? Thanks

50mm Kingspan with a cut out over feeder hole.

 

[SteveG]

50mm Kingspan with a cut out over feeder hole.

sadly there is no feeder hole in the inner hive cover, when you place fondant on the cover the weight would press down on the frames. I'm sure theres a way, I've emailed modern beekeeping where I purchased the hives. the problem with adding a wooden crown board in my head is the possible draft between the poly super, wood crown board and poly roof.

 

[Arfermo]

sadly there is no feeder hole in the inner hive cover, when you place fondant on the cover the weight would press down on the frames. I'm sure theres a way, I've emailed modern beekeeping where I purchased the hives. the problem with adding a wooden crown board in my head is the possible draft between the poly super, wood crown board and poly roof.

Make a feeder hole?

 

[SteveG]

Make a feeder hole?

agree, still have the problem with weight on inner cover pressing down on frames. guess i could place wood supports around the hole on inner cover and frames to prevent this.

 

[Arfermo]

That suggests the inner is too flimsy. Make a better one? My very aged pal didn't bother with any ekes or whatever but just pressed half packs of Apifonda onto the top of the frames where the cluster is and put the CB & lid back on. Nothing more - and he had kept bees for 70 odd years! When last seen he had 4 apiries and 50 or so hives and sells his honey in London. Clever guy educated at Eton and with a maths degree from Oxford. I didn't even get through my 11 plus.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Clever guy educated at Eton

I think nowadays it's been accepted that that is no yardstick for intelligence
........or integrity

 

[Mint Bee]

remove plastic sheet that is the crown board, add std wooden crown board, place fondant over holes. Add eke (and optional insulation), replace roof and strap down in current weather conditions. Its what I am currently doing on a couple of these hives I bought at last years auctions to try out.

 

[Amari]

That suggests the inner is too flimsy. Make a better one?

Steve, there is a place local to us which will cut to size Perspex or polycarbonate of different thicknesses eg 4mm.

 

[Madge]

agree, still have the problem with weight on inner cover pressing down on frames. guess i could place wood supports around the hole on inner cover and frames to prevent this.

Quite a few of my colonies have flexible plastic crown boards like the ones used with Paradise Bee Boxes into which I've drilled one or two feeder holes. I support rapid feeders or fondant tubs by placing a couple of sticks (usually an old bottom bracket cut into a few pieces) on top of the frames, and under the crown board.

 

[Lazy K]

I'm in the USA and use Paradise Langstroth and bought a Paradise feeder. I assume they are available for National hives also. I HATE it!!! It works for dry feed but is intended to be filled with sugar syrup. The entrance for the bees is horrible and the bees get stuck in it.
Thanks for the suggestions on how I can use my Rapid Feeder.
I also don't like the plastic crown board.

 

[Garry R]

Not quite sure what the weight problem is. I feed all my colonies with an eke I make myself out of four bits of timber 20mm thick about 50mm high. Fondant is 1kg plus in a plastic ba'and it is placed directly on top of the frames and then a crown board put on the top of the eke with an insulated roof on top. Keep it simple. My 9 year old grandson has Paradise National hives and on my suggestion did this. It was a pretty small colony but it has come through the winter ok. It's what I do with my poly hives - fondant on the frames right where the cluster is rather than guessing through a crown board hole.

 

[Sutty]

I have some paradise hives and have used a sheet of 50mm kingspan witha a hole cut to fit a takeaway container - draw around the base of the container & cut a tapered hole so it sits at the level of the kingspan. Take off the "crown board" sheet and put on the kingspan, slice off a little of the top corner so the roof rebate fits on the kingspan.
I melted slots in the takeaway containers with a soldering iron.