Feeding fondant

[taurus]

I have a colony I was advised to feed with fondant because they got going very late in the season and hadn't got much by way of stored. I made up a fondant board using 4kg of sugar and put it on just over a week ago - I've just checked today and they've taken the lot.

Looks like I'll need to make another one for them. I can't believe they've taken that much in so short a time.

 

[alldigging]

Is it being robbed?

 

[taurus]

No sign of robbing. It's a bit of a weird story with this lot, it was a nuc I bought in the spring but they just never got going as they should have. They superceded twice but I managed to keep the original queen. Then in late August she suddenly figured out what she was meant to do and the number of bees rocketed.

So by late September there was a brood box bursting with bees but no stores at all. I had to add a super in October to give them some space and they have continued to grow. The colony is incredibly strong with no sign of anything untoward at the entrance (which is restricted), so I'm certain there's no robbing going on. Plus the other colonies have also got fondant on.

I'm just amazed they taken so much so quickly.

 

[thorn]

Did you feed them in the spring to help them get going? If the forage is poor, they’ll progress slowly. Sugar syrup encourages the queen to lay faster.

 

[taurus]

Did you feed them in the spring to help them get going? If the forage is poor, they’ll progress slowly. Sugar syrup encourages the queen to lay faster.

Yes - I had 2 nucs in addition to a double brood colony from last year. The other nuc took off, this one just didn't seem to thrive at all.

One of the supercedure queens got going really well, the other one took 6 weeks to start laying and then she also has got going, but that lot are in still in a nuc as it was very late before she started laying.

I've made another eke of fondant up and will put it in tomorrow.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have seen a stripped colony back from the heather take 4 gallons of heavy syrup over night.

PH

 

[Hebeegeebee]

No sign of robbing. It's a bit of a weird story with this lot, it was a nuc I bought in the spring but they just never got going as they should have. They superceded twice but I managed to keep the original queen. Then in late August she suddenly figured out what she was meant to do and the number of bees rocketed.

I would ask - why did you keep the original queen if she was being replaced - twice. And has the reason why the colony has taken off is because they managed to replace her after all - despite your best efforts to stop that happening?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bees will store fondant as readily as syrup, especially if you put it on at this time of year and they are low on stores.

 

[taurus]

I would ask - why did you keep the original queen if she was being replaced - twice. And has the reason why the colony has taken off is because they managed to replace her after all - despite your best efforts to stop that happening?

I had a feeling the original queen would come good, as she indeed has. She's marked so I know she's still in charge.

 

[taurus]

Bees will store fondant as readily as syrup, especially if you put it on at this time of year and they are low on stores.

Thanks, I was advised to give them fondant,I just didn't expect them to take so much so quickly. It's a homemade recipe so I'm glad they've taken to it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks, I was advised to give them fondant,I just didn't expect them to take so much so quickly. It's a homemade recipe so I'm glad they've taken to it.

I've always used commercial baker's fondant, cheap enough and so much less faff.
A few years ago I had a late mated queen slow to take off so as it was this time of year and pretty cold, I put fondant on. they cleared more than a 12.5 kilo slab in less than a fortnight

 

[Codford]

Care to share your recipe Taurus?

 

[taurus]

It's very simple. A 2kg bag of sugar, 450ml water, 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

I put the water and vinegar in a large pan, get it hot then stir in the sugar, keep stirring until it boils. Then get it up to the soft ball heat on a thermometer, about 230F.

Take it off the heat and let it cool to about 200F, whisk it until it starts to go a bit cloudy.

Then I pour it into 50p food storage boxes from Wilkos, they just go upside down over the hole in the crownboard, or I pour it into an eke with 13mm mesh stapled across to make a fondant board.

I put commercial fondant in a box with the homemade stuff next to it and they cleared the homemade first so I reckon they prefer it.

 

[Millet]

Mine is 1kg sugar 25ml of glucose and 300ml of water, mad ehh .

 

[ShinySideUp]

Life is too short for all that, I just buy it. 12.5 kg for twenty quid is not that much more expensive than the sugar used to make it.

 

[Eyeman]

Life is too short for all that, I just buy it. 12.5 kg for twenty quid is not that much more expensive than the sugar used to make it.

Your fondant price works out at £1.60 / Kg.
Morrisons have sugar at £0.44 / kg for a 2 kg bag.

In beekeeping terms the difference is more than double any savings you're likely to make by waiting for the winter beekeeping sales.

 

[Eyeman]

sugar bricks



Using sugar bricks instead of fondant on my nucs.
Acquired a stack of 'zip top' plastic bags.
Recipe is put sugar into bag add water and press until squiggy and all sugar is wet. Compress into shape and dry on radiator overnight with top of bag open. Sets solid as a brick then close zip to store. To use, make a hole in side of bag and place over feeder hole. Nothing falls out. and bees don't carry away (out of the hive) the sugar during the winter.
1kg sugar to 40ml water

 

[taurus]

The price isn't what makes the decision for me. They just seem to prefer the homemade stuff so that's what I give them.

I've been meaning to try the sugar brick idea though for the nucs, great way to have something in reserve if they get hungry when I'm busy.