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I'm back using bakers fondant from the supermarket because ambrosia bee fondant killed four of my hives. Only made small hole in bag but fondant flowed out down on the bees and kill them. Well explained excellent as usual👏👍🎅
Yes it is a common problem seemingly there is now a plastic plug that you push into the bag that helped to prevents this happening I will look to see if I can find you a link to it.
Will placing the fondant directly on top of the bees not displace them from being in a cluster and having the benefit of sharing heat? Surely, they would have to cluster around the bag on smaller numbers or retreat in between the frames? Smaller numbers in a cluster would reault in less heat generated and more deaths, no?
On the first method with insulation added above fondant and upturned poly Ashforth feeder, do you block off the normal bee access to the ashforth feeder? Do you not get condensation in top of Ashforth feeder ss there is no where for water vapour to escape from the colony? Thanks
No need to block off. They shouldn't venture up there. No condensation will form on coldest surface not the heighist surface so it forms on the colder side walls and then is able to fall out through the OMF avoiding the cluster
I am about to try making foundant.. any reason why one shouldn't ? I thought controlling the ingredients is actually a plus. I understand that it can be difficult to get the consistency right but that's more a technical issue. I also understand that it may be a hustle if you have many hives..
Greater risk is doing it wrong. Creating high levels of HMF which is toxic to bees in high levels. Not worth the risk IMO. Just use standard cheap bakers fondant
Don't fear making fondant just keep the mix under 120 C. Your mix boils at 112 C and will stay there till it boils off so you can heat it to 112 then turn it down, like boiling potatoes.
Laurence you should never bang anything of the hive that is bad practice :-( If you need to get the bee of a feeder bang your hand off the feeder above the hive this will dislodge the bees. Hope this helps ;-)
Hi Graham. Unfortunately banging with the hand doesn't always work for me and plenty of bees remain lodged on the underside of the feeder. Its my first port of call and then I resort to a light nudge on the side of the hive. Bad practise maybe, but its an effective way to get the remaining bees back into the cluster.
Most sugar and bee feed products are zero rated so there is no saving, but some (and Im not quite sure why) come with a full VAT receipt. Maybe something to do with ingredients and formulation. When they come with a full VAT receipt at 20% S, then you can claim the VAT back if you are registered.
@@BlackMountainHoney VAT on a bee suit has always confused me too... surely it’s PPE? My honey sideline is not VAT registered but I guess every quarter you have a reclaim if honey sales are zero rated?
If you don't do bad reviews to warn people about badly design items then your reviews are not honest. You only do good reviews as you hope to get free stuff and that is all to it. Just another sell out pretending to be helpful
I do plenty of bad reviews where I buy the items myself thank you. You are commenting on a video about how to apply fondant to a beehive. It isn't a even a review.
@@BlackMountainHoney I have also watched video where You explicitly saying that You don't do bad reviews. And yes you are reviewing fondant in this video
@@fredjohnson3457 I said I won't slate a product if its given for free but am always honest with my opinions. Recently was given a free suit and identified a manufacturing defect within the video. I do plenty of bad reviews where I have purchased the product myself. You are clearly just trying to cause trouble. 🙄 I'm not reviewing fondant (which I paid full price for). Its a video about how to apply it.
@@fredjohnson3457 Just to add I've turned down numerous review opportunities for products I don't like or don't fit in the genre AND stand by ALL of my reviews whether they are good/bad gifted or not. You get full transparency on this channel.
I am passionate about beekeeping and really enjoy helping beekeepers through our RUclips channel and bee mentoring programme! Want to get the VERY BEST out of your bees? Sign up today to join the programme:
VIP Mentoring programme - www.blackmountainhoney.co.uk/beementoring
Thanks Laurence. Having never fed fondant to me bees before, this is most helpful. Ta
No worries Peter. Got most options covered here for you :)
I'm back using bakers fondant from the supermarket because ambrosia bee fondant killed four of my hives. Only made small hole in bag but fondant flowed out down on the bees and kill them. Well explained excellent as usual👏👍🎅
Ouch! Never heard that happen before. Sorry to hear that. What a bummer. Nothing wrong with bakers fondant :) 😃
Yes it is a common problem seemingly there is now a plastic plug that you push into the bag that helped to prevents this happening I will look to see if I can find you a link to it.
Canditap RUclips. Help hold candy back from flowing down on to winter cluster.🎅
Thank you no need to add this at this time but good to know. Merry Christmas to you and your family 👍🏽❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Cheers Rick. Merry Christmas to you too! :)
Will placing the fondant directly on top of the bees not displace them from being in a cluster and having the benefit of sharing heat?
Surely, they would have to cluster around the bag on smaller numbers or retreat in between the frames? Smaller numbers in a cluster would reault in less heat generated and more deaths, no?
On the first method with insulation added above fondant and upturned poly Ashforth feeder, do you block off the normal bee access to the ashforth feeder? Do you not get condensation in top of Ashforth feeder ss there is no where for water vapour to escape from the colony? Thanks
No need to block off. They shouldn't venture up there.
No condensation will form on coldest surface not the heighist surface so it forms on the colder side walls and then is able to fall out through the OMF avoiding the cluster
I am about to try making foundant.. any reason why one shouldn't ? I thought controlling the ingredients is actually a plus. I understand that it can be difficult to get the consistency right but that's more a technical issue. I also understand that it may be a hustle if you have many hives..
Greater risk is doing it wrong. Creating high levels of HMF which is toxic to bees in high levels. Not worth the risk IMO.
Just use standard cheap bakers fondant
Don't fear making fondant just keep the mix under 120 C. Your mix boils at 112 C and will stay there till it boils off so you can heat it to 112 then turn it down, like boiling potatoes.
What are those bees, pure buckfast? What a dream to feed, mine are not so happy this time of year 😂
Yes. They are all F1 buckfast colonies :)
@@BlackMountainHoney yes shows, unintentional bee beards not great when the wife is pulling stingers out for half an hour at the Christmas table
Laurence you should never bang anything of the hive that is bad practice :-( If you need to get the bee of a feeder bang your hand off the feeder above the hive this will dislodge the bees. Hope this helps ;-)
Hi Graham. Unfortunately banging with the hand doesn't always work for me and plenty of bees remain lodged on the underside of the feeder. Its my first port of call and then I resort to a light nudge on the side of the hive. Bad practise maybe, but its an effective way to get the remaining bees back into the cluster.
Looks like the price of this fondant has doubled in a short period :(
Yes. It has really ramped up. Even further this year. Cant go wrong with plain old bakers fondant :D
How do you take the VAT off?
Most sugar and bee feed products are zero rated so there is no saving, but some (and Im not quite sure why) come with a full VAT receipt. Maybe something to do with ingredients and formulation. When they come with a full VAT receipt at 20% S, then you can claim the VAT back if you are registered.
@@BlackMountainHoney VAT on a bee suit has always confused me too... surely it’s PPE? My honey sideline is not VAT registered but I guess every quarter you have a reclaim if honey sales are zero rated?
@@bengibbon9229 Yes. We reclaim every quarter. We dont sell anything that isnt zero rated and some things we buy attract VAT at the standard rate
Are you shure the bees don't die in this method of putting your fondand of 2 kg 🤣
Poly what ?
If you don't do bad reviews to warn people about badly design items then your reviews are not honest. You only do good reviews as you hope to get free stuff and that is all to it. Just another sell out pretending to be helpful
I do plenty of bad reviews where I buy the items myself thank you. You are commenting on a video about how to apply fondant to a beehive. It isn't a even a review.
@@BlackMountainHoney I have also watched video where You explicitly saying that You don't do bad reviews. And yes you are reviewing fondant in this video
@@fredjohnson3457 I said I won't slate a product if its given for free but am always honest with my opinions. Recently was given a free suit and identified a manufacturing defect within the video. I do plenty of bad reviews where I have purchased the product myself. You are clearly just trying to cause trouble. 🙄 I'm not reviewing fondant (which I paid full price for). Its a video about how to apply it.
@@fredjohnson3457 Just to add I've turned down numerous review opportunities for products I don't like or don't fit in the genre AND stand by ALL of my reviews whether they are good/bad gifted or not. You get full transparency on this channel.