Feeding bees


Bakers Fondant


If you think your bees need extra rations due to winter supplies running low - an easy option is BAKER'S FONDANT.


Fondant is the soft white icing that bakers use on top of cakes. It can be bought via your local baker - choose a small family baker rather than a big chain. Cost is approx. £12 for a 6 kilo block. But make sure it's white - not flavored.


It arrives as a plastic-wrapped block in a cardboard carton. It is soft and flowing - if you take it out of the carton it will slowly flow. Do not unwrap it from its cellophane wrapper.


Place next to the feedhole in crownboard and slash the edge with a stanley knife. The bees come up to eat the fondant and the wraping bag prevents it drying out


If you really wish to make it, the recipe is below:


2lbs sugar

1/2 pint or less water

1 tablespoon liquid glucose


Heat water, sugar and glucose together until sugar has dissolved, bring to boil, boil to 240f. Put the pan into a sink of cold water and start stirring with a flat wooden spatula. It is important to keep the mixture moving, when it gets harder to stir and has cooled sufficiently to work with hands pour out onto a clen worktop splashed with water, knead the mixture like bread until cool. Wrap in cling film. The glucose keeps it supple.



It is quite easy to make Baker's Fondant without a thermometer, which aren't too acurate in any case.


The temperatures for sugar boiling and the results are :-


240f = soft ball - if you drop a splodge of mix into a bowl of water the resulting cool ball of sugar will be soft like a chewy mint.


250f = hard ball - same splodge, hard ball


280f = small crack - used for spun sugar (candy floss)


310f = hard crack - used for more brittle sweets like barley sugar


345f = caramel


Once the water has gone and you are boiling pure sugar the temp rises reasonably quickly.


Have ready a bowl of cold water. When the mixture boils it will take a few minutes for the water to evaporate off, the easiest way to describe it is the boil "slows down" the temperature will then rise quite quickly. After it has "slow boiled" for 1 minute and using the spoon you are stirring with, drip a drop of mixture into the cold water, follow it with your fingers, if the temperature is right the drop will form a small soft ball, if it disintegrates under your fingers it has not boiled enough, keep boiling and trying till you get the "soft ball" When this happens stop boiling immediately, turn off the heat and put the pan into a sink of cold water and start stirring.

Feeding bees


Heavy or thick syrup is given to bees when they need to store food that is in preparation for winter.

Light syrup is thought by some beekeepers to stimulate a colony in the spring. Syrup must only be given when bees have stopped flying for the day. Reduced entrances can help avoid robbing. Never spill syrup in the apiary.

Candy can be placed directly on the cluster of bees when stores have been used and they

are not flying.

Only use white sugar with no additives (unless Fumidil B for treating Nosema is used).



Recipes:


Heavy Syrup

2kg sugar/1 litre water


Heat carefully until crystals are dissolved



Light syrup

Amount of sugar is halved


Heat carefully until all crystals are dissolved


Candy

2lbs sugar

1/2 pint or less water

1 tablespoon liquid glucose


Heat water, sugar and glucose together until sugar has dissolved, bring to boil, boil to 240f. Put the pan into a sink of cold water and start stirring with a flat wooden spatula. It is important to keep the mixture moving, when it gets harder to stir and has cooled sufficiently to work with hands pour out onto a clean worktop splashed with water, knead the mixture like bread until cool. Wrap in cling film. The glucose keeps it supple.


Once the water has gone and you are boiling pure sugar the temp rises reasonably quickly.


Have ready a bowl of cold water. When the mixture boils it will take a few minutes for the water to evaporate off, the easiest way to describe it is the boil "slows down" the temperature will then rise quite quickly. After it has "slow boiled" for 1 minute and using the spoon you are stirring with, drip a drop of mixture into the cold water, follow it with your fingers, if the temperature is right the drop will form a small soft ball, if it disintegrates under your fingers it has not boiled enough, keep boiling and trying till you get the "soft ball" When this happens stop boiling immediately, turn off the heat and put the pan into a sink of cold water and start stirring.


Note: Never feed foreign honey