When?

[Millet]

It would be best if the food container was upside down and over the hole, so the bees don't have to search for it. Something to remember for next time?

The bees are unable to pass the food provided without walking over it, I would have thought more bees can feed at once rather than having to wait there turn through a small feed hole which is around a 1 inch circle.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The bees are unable to pass the food provided without walking over it, I would have thought more bees can feed at once rather than having to wait there turn through a small feed hole which is around a 1 inch circle.

Believe you me - they'll have no problem - if you want to feed above the crown board an inverted carton is what most use, much less disruption for the bees - why try and reinvent the wheel and make it square? if you want more bees to feed at once then just slap it directly on top of the frames and be done with.

 

[For want of a better word]

Believe you me - they'll have no problem - if you want to feed above the crown board an inverted carton is what most use, much less disruption for the bees - why try and reinvent the wheel and make it square? if you want more bees to feed at once then just slap it directly on top of the frames and be done with.

And take the box from below and put it on top ... if you have bottom beespace!

Nos da

 

[Millet]

Believe you me - they'll have no problem - if you want to feed above the crown board an inverted carton is what most use, much less disruption for the bees - why try and reinvent the wheel and make it square? if you want more bees to feed at once then just slap it directly on top of the frames and be done with.

I'm not trying to reinvent a wheel , will my method of feeding kill the bees and wipe the colony out, if so I will change my method, if not I will not try to fix what is not broken.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm not trying to reinvent a wheel , will my method of feeding kill the bees and wipe the colony out, if so I will change my method, if not I will not try to fix what is not broken.

Not exactly running smoothly though?

The thing with the bees being up top is when i last took the cosy of to add fondant over the feed hole the crown board was covered in bees, loads of them took flight and a fare few killed themselves trying too sting me through the bee suit.

Inverted Carton is convenient, less disruptive and fairly fuss free, also less cold exposure for the bees and you can check the fondant level at a gance without the bees coming out to meet you.

 

[BeeJuice]

Five fieldfare - two males., three females. New error seen them in the garden before

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm not trying to reinvent a wheel , will my method of feeding kill the bees and wipe the colony out, if so I will change my method, if not I will not try to fix what is not broken.

The usual method of feeding fondant is to put a container with the opening downwards, towards the bees, rather than upwards towards the roof.

Sometimes fondant is put directly onto the top bars, sometimes above a queen excluder, sometimes above a feeder board, but to expect the colony to travel up through a hole in a feeder board, and then negotiate to the top of a fondant container can be risky in a cold winter. This has not been a cold winter, so you may have been lucky.

Bees can starve if they cluster over brood that is only half an inch away from their stores - so yes, during a normal winter, your method of feeding could wipe the colony out.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The usual method of feeding fondant is to put a container with the opening downwards, towards the bees, rather than upwards towards the roof.

Sometimes fondant is put directly onto the top bars, sometimes above a queen excluder, sometimes above a feeder board, but to expect the colony to travel up through a hole in a feeder board, and then negotiate to the top of a fondant container can be risky in a cold winter. This has not been a cold winter, so you may have been lucky.

Bees can starve if they cluster over brood that is only half an inch away from their stores - so yes, during a normal winter, your method of feeding could wipe the colony out.

You make hard work of a simple procedure. Simply put the fondant (if required) into a shallow (preferably clear) sandwich box, invert it over the feed hole and surround/cover it with insulation. Easy matter then to quickly lift the insulation, look through the plastic box to check consumption and replace the insulation.
No dramas and no scare stories!

 

[Millet]

The usual method of feeding fondant is to put a container with the opening downwards, towards the bees, rather than upwards towards the roof.

Sometimes fondant is put directly onto the top bars, sometimes above a queen excluder, sometimes above a feeder board, but to expect the colony to travel up through a hole in a feeder board, and then negotiate to the top of a fondant container can be risky in a cold winter. This has not been a cold winter, so you may have been lucky.

Bees can starve if they cluster over brood that is only half an inch away from their stores - so yes, during a normal winter, your method of feeding could wipe the colony out.

So I have wasted my time making a cosy which is 50mm thick on the sides and 100mm thick on the roof.

 

[BeeJayBee]

You make hard work of a simple procedure.

So is putting fondant with the access facing upwards and away from the colony

So I have wasted my time making a cosy which is 50mm thick on the sides and 100mm thick on the roof.

Of course not, but it isn't a panacea.

Colonies can, and do, starve even in well-insulated hives and it's more often the fault of the beekeeper.

 

[Millet]

So is putting fondant with the access facing upwards and away from the colony

Of course not, but it isn't a panacea.

Colonies can, and do, starve even in well-insulated hives and it's more often the fault of the beekeeper.

I finally have internet and on Sunday the 2kg i stuck in there had nearly gone, they was a couple of dead bees but they had been splattered when sticking the cosy back on, i stuck another 2kg on the crown board and left them too it.