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hive top feeder and fondant

4K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Andrew Dewey 
#1 ·
can i use my hive-top feeder(the kind used for feeding syrup usually). if i take the screen off it.. to feed fondant to the bees.. its the kind of feeder hive top that mann lake sells.. i can take the screen off.. it would make it easier to feed the fondant.. has anyone ever used it for that purpose before? would definitely save me time. as i would not have to make a candy board.
 
#2 ·
I followed the technique practiced by a bee breeder in PA. Just place the baker's fondant directly over the inner cover. Have the notch down for ventilation / top entrance (I also have drilled top entrances ). You use an empty box over the inner cover to enclose the fondant. My usual winter setup is: inner covers with the notch down, then a piece of Homasote over the inner cover, and then the outer cover. If I add fondant I put the Homasote on top of the empty box. I put a big chunk of fondant on the inner cover, completely covering the hole in the inner cover.

When it's cold the bees won't break cluster to go up into the cold top feeder.


For the first time I will use some bags of sugar that were soaked in a cup of water and allowed to dry. I will place them over the inner cover openings just as I did with fondant.
 
#3 ·
I want my winter feed (when needed) to be directly available to the bees. I do not think you'll get many bees to leave the cluster to seek out the fondant in your feeder.

What I do is place a rim on top of my upper brood chamber (used in the old days for Mite Away II), put a slab of fondant inside it, and replace the inner cover, insulation and outer cover per normal for the winter.
 
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