removing crown board without chaos

[Cuckmere couple]

i wanted to put some fondant on some hives yesterday but, on a coldish day, i always fear teh bees spewing out of the sides and struggling to get them back in

one hive yesterday had some frames stuck to the middle of the crown board so i left it and just placed fondant on top (i was trying to move the crown board 90 degrees so the feed hole was in the correct place for fondant tub and celotex

and a couple of other colonies still have English feeders on and the whole feeder needs removing and sugar syrup emptying before i add fondant

should i just get on with it and not fear any chaos?

 

[SWEET]

Sure, removed a fair few yesterday without issue (for various reasons), bees were flying and 10+ , zero issues but I was fast.

Only did it as had to sort a few issues.

Some smoke and gentle moves, all good.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

cheers

ive ended up in a mess before doing it early eve so wondered about cold, but, i guess i should get on with it

one double brood colony which is always feisty, is in a maisemore poly hive with an english feeder on top...that whole feeder needs to come off and syrup emptied etc

 

[drex]

Trickled Oa in all my hives recently. Very few bees flew up. Used a few puffs of smoke before fully removing crownboard. You can be in and out very quick if you have everything at the ready.

 

[madasafish]

trickled OA for beginner Friday. Umbrella job (raining) and windy. Trickle one line of bees, CB back on, refill syringe, repeat.. Took 3 minutes. Bees did not really have time to fly out. Lit smoker but not needed..

BUT I have one horrible hive at home to be Re q'd and when vaping them the next day, they decided to come out and greet me...afterwards..

 

[Poly Hive]

Something to think about.

When its properly cold and the bees are clustered how accessible is fondant over a crown board?

In a poly where admittedly they don't cluster that tight if the fondant is on the topbars it's to hand, or mouth in reality.

It's logical surely?

PH

 

[Swarm]

Do they actually need fondant or are you adding it because you think they do?
Heft them.

 

[drex]

This is the beginners section. It takes some experience to heft reliably and that is also not an accurate assessment of accessible stores. In my early days I used fondant as an insurance. I now try to do the balancing act bit, but still get it wrong - not badly enough to have lost colonies though

 

[Poly Hive]

I am in my third decade of this and over the years I have realised that it is far better to be safe than sorry.

I use it as insurance and frankly, it pays off.

But fondant over crown boards might as well be on the moon when it is needed.

It's nothing new. The greats who worked at Craibstone put out a quarterly bulletin and that consistently said put candy on the top bars. So it's hardly new thinking. Anderson, Jeffries and others to name but two.

PH

 

[drex]

Totally agree PH. Dead bees are dead bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

cheers

ive ended up in a mess before doing it early eve so wondered about cold, but, i guess i should get on with it

one double brood colony which is always feisty, is in a maisemore poly hive with an english feeder on top...that whole feeder needs to come off and syrup emptied etc

Question I asked, does the English feeder need to be removed if full of syrup and the hive weighs as much as Mr Crabtree says ( or whatever his name is) full of Autumn stores, packed in like Paras in a Hercules.Why not leave it on, the bees may be glad of it come Spring

 

[E&MBees]

Managed to lift the CB just enough to scrape and reposition the Apivar strips without too much chaos today. The girls did make their displeasure known, so glad I had the smoker to hand. Most stayed under the polycarbonate CB thank goodness.

Hefted the hive. Still heavy to lift and could see capped supplies through the polycarbonate CB. I have got fondant (it’s inside the house so warm and soft) ready to go, if needed. As I am a beginner, should I put it in place on top of the brood frames, or continue to heft and wait?

 

[Amari]

Wait

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Question I asked, does the English feeder need to be removed if full of syrup and the hive weighs as much as Mr Crabtree says ( or whatever his name is) full of Autumn stores, packed in like Paras in a Hercules.Why not leave it on, the bees may be glad of it come Spring

true

this colony was used as an example

and...as PH and others have said...ive hefted and weighed....i am just adding fondant in case....ive lost one colony to lack of stores in my first year (3rd year now) and want to avoid again

 

[MuswellMetro]

Something to think about.

When its properly cold and the bees are clustered how accessible is fondant over a crown board?

In a poly where admittedly they don't cluster that tight if the fondant is on the topbars it's to hand, or mouth in reality.

It's logical surely?

PH

i have a few maisemore polyhives in both 14x12 and commercial bottom bee space, the Crown Boards supplied are zero bee space clear acrylic clear sheets, So no space for fondant. Do you suggest using an eke for fondant?

 

[SDM]

i have a few maisemore polyhives in both 14x12 and commercial bottom bee space, the Crown Boards supplied are zero bee space clear acrylic clear sheets, So no space for fondant. Do you suggest using an eke for fondant?

I cut a feeder hole into mine( clear plastic sheeting for a flap to close them the rest of the year) fondant goes into a ziplock bag over the hole. I found that in poly if you dont confine them with a bag , theyll fill the bloody eke with comb at any time of winter.

 

[madasafish]

I cut a feeder hole into mine( clear plastic sheeting for a flap to close them the rest of the year) fondant goes into a ziplock bag over the hole. I found that in poly if you dont confine them with a bag , theyll fill the bloody eke with comb at any time of winter.

Yes here too,,

 

[Poly Hive]

All my nucs are poly.

All my nucs are fed fondant using a poly eke that I have made. I think that poly is the better material for ekes but in a push I cant see wood doing much harm.

PH

 

[blackcloud]

What are the downsides of early fondant other than cost?

 

[enrico]

The only down side is over feeding so that sugar gets stored in excess and goes into the spring crop
E