Replacing fondant feeding containers

[RogerJ]

I gave some fondant in one of the plastic containers over one of the holes in the crownboard and they've eaten it all. I want to replace it but how do I get the bees out - do I wait till they go back down of their own accord and use the other hole or is there some "magic trick"?

Thanks.

 

[Millet]

I gave some fondant in one of the plastic containers over one of the holes in the crownboard and they've eaten it all. I want to replace it but how do I get the bees out - do I wait till they go back down of their own accord and use the other hole or is there some "magic trick"?

Thanks.

Can you just put a separate container in beside the one that is already in there, that would save disturbing the bees , if you don't have the room and it was my hive i would put a separate container full of fondant in and tip the bees onto it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

New container next to the old, both straddling the feeder hole. Go back in a day or two, move over and take away, replace insulation.
Next time try putting fondant rolled thin inside some wax paper on the top bars, first having torn a small strip off the bottom.
Works a treat and bees chuck the paper out.

 

[madasafish]

New container next to the old, both straddling the feeder hole. Go back in a day or two, move over and take away, replace insulation.
Next time try putting fondant rolled thin inside some wax paper on the top bars, first having torn a small strip off the bottom.
Works a treat and bees chuck the paper out.

+1
I use Aldi medium clear freezer bags. Fondant in, rollout, close up bag, score underside and remove a few sqcms of bag and place over top bars..

Simple enough for even me

 

[REDWOOD]

side by side containers.

 

[midnight sun]

When I changed mine they were fairly active with the weather being relatively mild. Just raised the edge of the conainer less than bee size and gave them a tiny quick puff of smoke to drive them down through the feed hole. Only took less than a minute per hive. Didn't seem to bother them.

 

[RogerJ]

Thanks for the replies - have gone with the side by side approach.

I'm a bit "confused" by the top of the bars approach for placing fondant as there is not much room between that and the crownboard (just a bee-space). Do you use a board with a larger space underneath?

 

[Davelin]

Yes you need an eke if you are going to put fondant straight on top of the frames

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for the replies - have gone with the side by side approach.

I'm a bit "confused" by the top of the bars approach for placing fondant as there is not much room between that and the crownboard (just a bee-space). Do you use a board with a larger space underneath?

I run top space and simply turning my framed feeder board over gives me nearly 2cm which is ample. Otherwise as Davelin, a shallow eke is needed

 

[RogerJ]

Thanks again.

I presume that is advisable to use a shallow eke rather than an empty super to minimise the air space above?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks again.

I presume that is advisable to use a shallow eke rather than an empty super to minimise the air space above?

Absolutely.
Putting on a super in winter is a little unwise.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You can make an eke in a couple of minutes - four pieces of 2x1 or similar nailed, screwed or even gaffertaped together

 

[user 6228]

You can make an eke in a couple of minutes - four pieces of 2x1 or similar nailed, screwed or even gaffertaped together

a crown board sized sheet of 25mm PIR (kinspan celotex etc..) with a 200x200 square hole in the middle and another with out the hole to go on top. Seal cut edgeswith a tape preferably ally foil.

All can be cut with a bread knife if other tools are not available.

 

[iand]

Yes you need an eke if you are going to put fondant straight on top of the frames

The idea is to put the fondant directly above the bees, so they have it readily accessible.
I checked our Association bees earlier and found bees getting to the fondant above the crown board but another smaller lot were in the corner of the box and out of reach, so not much use there. Luckily by my next visit after a few warm days,they had moved across to it.

 

[Madge]

Absolutely.
Putting on a super in winter is a little unwise.

Not if you fill it with insulation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Insulation, yes.
As an eke for feeding fondant straight onto the crown board ...no, surely

 

[Madge]

Insulation, yes.
As an eke for feeding fondant straight onto the crown board ...no, surely

Why not? All my colonies over-winter with supers as ekes used both for housing feeders (fondant tubs in winter) above an inner crown board as well as housing extra insulation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the situation. The question was asked how you provided space between the crown board and the top frames for fondant. An eke was suggested. Then another question was posed whether a super would be too large an eke. Top bars/ fondant /super /crown. A super full of insulation on top of a crown board is a different thing altogether

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the situation. The question was asked how you provided space between the crown board and the top frames for fondant. An eke was suggested. Then another question was posed whether a super would be too large an eke. Top bars/ fondant /super /crown. A super full of insulation on top of a crown board is a different thing altogether

No, you haven't misunderstood, the question was to do with creating space to put fondant direct on the topframes below ther crownboard.

 

[Madge]

My mistake. Sorry!
Kitta