Stores starting to be reduced

[Hivemaker.]

presuming a framed crownboard which gives a decent space!

I was presuming a crown board for a top beespace hive,but to get any decent quantity in so they can be left for a month or so, needs a super or decent depth eke,not a crown board,mine get fed if needed on top the crown board,no problems at all,they all have one deep side to fill with fondant,and the five frame nucs have three 2" holes to access the fondant..like a top feeding cassette/candy board.

 

[BBG]

I was presuming a crown board for a top beespace hive,but to get any decent quantity in so they can be left for a month or so, needs a super or decent depth eke,not a crown board,mine get fed if needed on top the crown board,no problems at all,they all have one deep side to fill with fondant,and the five frame nucs have three 2" holes to access the fondant..like a top feeding cassette/candy board.

Could you explain that please HM

 

[drstitson]

think crownboard with apiguard eke attached.

 

[BBG]

OK - understand I think.

 

[Poly Hive]

I don't need to say anything dr, it seems it is all on auto..lol

PH

 

[drstitson]

sorry PH - not meaning to tread on any toes.

whilst regular changes of 1kg tubbed doses over crownboard holes is fine for many people with garden (or otherwise local) hives, what many people forget is that it is entirely feasible for nature or lady luck to strike with no notice.

what do you do if your bees are 10 miles away and we get a month long spell of snow and ice? or, as a forum member knows all too well, you break your leg before doing your OA trickle and local association don't use it? - fine if some kind mad soul is willing to traipse across a golf course in near darkness (thanks for the tipple BTW - you know who you are!).

i have one apiary which i can't get to every week (and usually only after dark during winter) and another currently buried under snow. i'm happy in the knowledge that the hives that need it have 4kg blocks of fondant on top of the frames which should tide them over until next peep through the polycarbonate.

 

[oliver90owner]

All this rubbish about how much to feed. C'mon, THINK, they are not going to need half a block of fondant at this time of the year. Likely very shortly they would be better with a liquid feed (for brooding). Fondant is good for thermal energy generation, but next to useless for brood rearing without a water supply. Certainly, as soon as you see bees collecting water, the time for feeding fondant is almost over. Any colonies that need feed now would not get more than a kilogram, or so, for that very reason.

 

[Poly Hive]

Rubbish? I think not myself, and I just bought three blocks of fondant and further we are mid winter still and there is snow forecast for the weekend.

But I am used to long hard winters and plan for them.

I would like to think that my planning is not needed but.....ya never know in the UK.

There is a lot of value in the discussion of little and often (shudder) and a whacking great block, which if not needed can be converted to liquid feed.

Winter is not by yet.

PH