Top Bar Beekeeping Forum

[watercarving]

Last week I turned my frames upside down in the hive. By today they were mostly bee free. In the interim I had taken one frame, cut out the comb and tied it to a bar and placed it in the hive. Today they had fixed a strip of wax halfway across the bar to secure the comb. Since they seemed to be taking to the idea so well we cut out all the comb and tied it to bars and put them back in the hive. No more frames!

Also, my homemade fondant (corn syrup and powdered sugar) has been a hit. One bar is 1 cup of corn syrup and 7.5 cups of powdered sugar. The weaker hive has eaten about 1/3 of their test bar. The strong hive has eaten about 80% of their bar. The bars were put in Saturday at 4:00pm and I checked them today at 5:00pm. That's a lot of solid food to eat in 72 hours. I assume they don't eat as much during the winter!

They are also taking the syrup faster than I can give it. A gallon paint can won't fit but a 1/2 gallon plastic bucket will. I have it sitting in the back of the hive with plastic screen folded over the side acting as a ladder up from the floor and a ladder down to the syrup. Hope they take it well.

Both hives are making wax again. The weaker hive is making wax and almost all the newly completed cells had liquid in them. That's a good sign. Maybe I can save both these hives.
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John Call
www.johncall.com
www.bereanhouse.com

[GarlyDog]

I have been looking for an easy recipe. I think I will give yours a try. Thanks for the post.
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Gary

This message was crafted using 100% post consumer electrons.

http://www.HiveCam.com

[Gordo]

[biobee]

You can also make fondant by taking any quantity of honey (or thick syrup) and mixing powdered sugar into it until it won't take any more. You will be surprised at how much it will take...

This recipe is often used for queen candy, for blocking the exit hole in a queen cage.
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The Barefoot Beekeeper www.biobees.com

[wannabee]

Need we be worried about Genetically Modified corn in the HFCS?

I am guessing the stuff from Costco isn't organic, or GMO free, but I could be wrong there...
Otherwise this seems a brilliant recipe, and I will try it.
Thanks!

laura
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Wannabee
Portland, OR

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-Benjamin Franklin

[GarlyDog]

I want to add to this that it mixes together more quickly if you use your hands.
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Gary

This message was crafted using 100% post consumer electrons.

http://www.HiveCam.com

[rose883]

I posted this in another thread, but should have posted it in this thread....

I just read about a 'grease patty' made with Crisco and sugar....any comments? It is supposed to be beneficial in controlling varroa (I don't have any, but many of the beekeepers in my area do). The recipe may also inclue mineral salts or tea tree oil along with Corn Syrup or 'Clean Honey.'

Thanks for the fondante recipe...I will be cooking today
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Rose

[Norm]

What's Crisco?
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Feral bees are natures survivors and have, by the survival of the fittest principle, overcome disease and mite problems without mans intervention.

[Gordo]

[laura]

I don't see Crisco as a good thing for any living creature to consume as it is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. I wouldn't view it as healthy or sustainable.

[Gary]

Grease patties are MAINLY used for two things Control of trachael mites and as EXTENDER patties to feed terramycin and pollen substitites. There is NO, NONE, NOT ONE good reason to use them in cojuncrion with a TBH as we do not reccomend ANY of the above listed uses.

DO NOT confuse grease with fondant they are two TOTALLY different things.

I (just taking responsobility for the advice I give here) reccomend FONDANT be used as an artifical feed only during the re naturalization process of a colony, to keep it alive to be re naturalized in the first place. You can't do anything with dead bees!

The intent is to remove all man made help from the colony completly and get to a sustainable state.

Sustainable = a colony that does not need our help at all, overwinters on it's own honey and produces a little excess for us!
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Gary
www.hirschbachapiary.com
gary@hirschbachapiary.com

With being at the top of the food chain comes the responsibility of protecting it! Not the right to destroy it.

Procrastination is the assassination of inspiration!

[Gary]