BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Bees don't die of the cold "Ever"

  • share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
 #9224  by Bobbysbees
 14 Oct 2020, 16:36
When placing fondant on the frames using an eke, would this be directly over the brood box and there for under the super or second brood box that is already full of stores/honey or on top of the hive/super of stores?
The reason i ask is there seems to be a wide debate over isolation starvation. :?:
 #9225  by NigelP
 14 Oct 2020, 18:00
Bobbysbees wrote:
14 Oct 2020, 16:36
When placing fondant on the frames using an eke, would this be directly over the brood box and there for under the super or second brood box that is already full of stores/honey or on top of the hive/super of stores?
The reason i ask is there seems to be a wide debate over isolation starvation. :?:
I think you are asking a bit of a confused question here. If you have a brood box full of stores...no need to add fondant. However, if you think your bees are getting low on stores and need to add fondant.......
Basically whatever configuration you have there seem to be two main opinions. Open hole in crown board and place fondant over hole. Or you place it with an eke directly on top of frames at top of hive. You can get away with crown board and hole most winters, but in the case of really nasty one the bees won't move to get it. So in most of our recent mild winters it wouldn't have mattered where the fondant was....but in a really cold one?....I don't gamble that it's going to be a mild winter again....if they need fondant it goes on top of the frames with an eke. Got caught out a while back when we had a mild Feb and freezing march and the bees wouldn't move from the brood.
 #9228  by Bobbysbees
 14 Oct 2020, 19:35
Thanks Nigel for the clarification.
I reckon mine have plenty stores but both hives seem to be pretty packed with bees.
So i figure more bees will mean stores get used up quicker. So i will ere on the side of caution and keep an eye on them heft wise toward the end of November heading through till March.