syrup or fondant?

Paulf said:

And if not thymolated

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I wouldn't be taking the risk.
Cazza

Ok cheers fondant it is then.

Paulf said:

And if not thymolated

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Then either get some Thymol, alcohol and Lecithin or else (and MUCH better at this time of the year) get some commercial invert bee syrup (Ambrosia is the best known, but not only, brand).
Thymol will stop your syrup going mouldy and 'may' act as a tonic against Nosema. But as (Imperial) 2:1 it is 38% water, and the bees need to reduce it to about 20% for storage.
Commercial invert syrup is about 28% water - so the bees have less than half the work to do. And it doesn't go mouldy (in a clean feeder).

I still have half of the block of fondant I bought last year. It's well wrapped up but has hardened. Should I use it or bin it?

thorn said:

I still have half of the block of fondant I bought last year. It's well wrapped up but has hardened. Should I use it or bin it?

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Its likely soft inside!
It won't do any harm. Only question is whether the bees will have access to enough water easily enough to make good use of it.

With a nice see-through crown board, one can see whether or not it is being taken -- and even when its time to open up and refill.
I don't like the idea that the bees have to come up through a crownboard hole to get to the fondant. Others are welcome to their own opinions!

itma said:

Its likely soft inside!
It won't do any harm. Only question is whether the bees will have access to enough water easily enough to make good use of it.

With a nice see-through crown board, one can see whether or not it is being taken -- and even when its time to open up and refill.
I don't like the idea that the bees have to come up through a crownboard hole to get to the fondant. Others are welcome to their own opinions!

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So do you roll it out and lay it straight on top of the frames ?

I put it directly on top of frames last year in a flatened lump but it was a sticky mess, just now have it above hole in crown board which they are taking so will leave it there I think.

"And if not thymolated"

ask yourself why not!


most of the great and the good here would be using thymolated 2:1 for autumn feed, from the start, but especially later.

Get the fondant and put it in a plastic bag or cling film, a large flat piece. Score the bag with a blade and stick it on the top bars under the CB and very shallow eke. Should be no or very little mess to remove.

wrapped with a couple of slits cut.

I still have half of the block of fondant I bought last year. It's well wrapped up but has hardened. Should I use it or bin it?

Thorn

Don't bin it just use it as a sweetener....but I wouldn't try to re-hydrate it for feeding to the bees. Buy some fresh fondant, as Cheryl Cole says "because they're ----- -- "

richard

Any way of adding thymol to ready made fondant?

Don't know about thymol, BJ, as I'm a firm believer in mid-winter trickling oxalic acid on top of the opened bb which has 100% worked for the last 2 years....
rich

No, I don't want it for varroa treatment, but as a belt and braces for nosema.

Never done it, but I reckon the small amount needed could be 'folded in' if the fondant block were warmed sufficiently and the thymol was with emulsifier. Potentially a messy and smelly job, unless you are an accomplished cook - which I would think you are.

RAB

oliver90owner said:

Never done it, but I reckon the small amount needed could be 'folded in' if the fondant block were warmed sufficiently and the thymol was with emulsifier. Potentially a messy and smelly job, unless you are an accomplished cook - which I would think you are.

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No!!! But thanks for the compliment. I can and do cook, but I wouldn't bother making fondant. Would have to try to knead it into the ready made stuff.

That is what I ws meaning. As soon as I get a rolling pin near fondant ( just to roll it out for laying abve frames) I am in trouble. But warmed fondant is quite workable.

RAB

Would you reckon about 5ml of Hivemakers syrup mix is about right for 12.5kg block - or would that much be too much, or not enough? The volume of that much is somewhere around 5 litres/gallon

BeeJoyful said:

Would you reckon about 5ml of Hivemakers syrup mix is about right for 12.5kg block - or would that much be too much, or not enough? The volume of that much is somewhere around 5 litres/gallon

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Wouldnt be far off I built this for hivemakers syrup mix so i know i'm track - http://logics.co.uk/thymolcalculator.aspx

herefordshirehoney said:

Wouldnt be far off I built this for hivemakers syrup mix so i know i'm track - http://logics.co.uk/thymolcalculator.aspx

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Wow! That's impressive! I've no idea how you did it, but it's really useful. Thanks.

Can I suggest you add a link in the thymol thread, so other people can use it too.