Yes. Generally I put a fist sized lump fondant in a freezer bag over the central hole in a home made crown board. Sometimes with an eke on or I use my Ashforth feeders in the same way - turned upside down. That is if I haven't been so lazy that I have left the feeder on right way up - then I remove the glass and squeeze the fondant along under where the glass lives and put the glass back. Either way I can easily see which colonies eat it fastest.
@@BlackMountainHoney I generally just use a fist sized lump. I can get that into the gaps of an Ashforth feeder. If they eat it all I will give them another lump. As the feeder is on already I can put syrup in - say in Feb or early March. I have (if the syrup has thymol in) left the feeder with autumn feed in it. That probably isn't ideal - but they then take it when it's warm enough. Often I don't have an eke to hand or an Ashforth feeder and use a super full of frames. I have to take out the middle frames and they then tend to become a nuisance. But apart from that it's OK. Ideally I don't want to be feeding at all at this time of the year - but better fed than dead - so I do want to know which hives need it especially as my bee keeping is quite chaotic at the best of times.
Great simple, step by step, explanation. Ideal for beginners like myself. Thanks. 😊
Yes.
Generally I put a fist sized lump fondant in a freezer bag over the central hole in a home made crown board. Sometimes with an eke on or I use my Ashforth feeders in the same way - turned upside down. That is if I haven't been so lazy that I have left the feeder on right way up - then I remove the glass and squeeze the fondant along under where the glass lives and put the glass back.
Either way I can easily see which colonies eat it fastest.
That's an interesting method, Patrick. How much do you tend to apply at a time?
@@BlackMountainHoney I generally just use a fist sized lump. I can get that into the gaps of an Ashforth feeder. If they eat it all I will give them another lump. As the feeder is on already I can put syrup in - say in Feb or early March. I have (if the syrup has thymol in) left the feeder with autumn feed in it. That probably isn't ideal - but they then take it when it's warm enough.
Often I don't have an eke to hand or an Ashforth feeder and use a super full of frames. I have to take out the middle frames and they then tend to become a nuisance. But apart from that it's OK.
Ideally I don't want to be feeding at all at this time of the year - but better fed than dead - so I do want to know which hives need it especially as my bee keeping is quite chaotic at the best of times.
Hey, can you just put a small eek over the large slab of fondant with insulation?
How's it going this year? I'm intrigued by the fondant feeding. It's typically unheard of here in the states
Do you have to feed your bees because not enough honey stores left in hive late autumn?
We take the honey but dont have major late season flows. We feed around 12 - 15kg per colony
Do you ever use block sugar?
I don't understand. In another video, you've just placed the bag on top of the frames. Why not do that here?
Also what is the benefit of leaving the fondant's blue plastic on top?
that's so weird. we just got some free doughnuts from gregg's. lucky bees!