On 5-Mar-17, at 4:11 PM, Peter Edwards wrote:
>
> This requires a very flexible approach.  Colonies need checking
> (hefting) at regular intervals throughout the winter and fondant
> supplied as necessary.  Most colonies that die out do so in March or
> April, so that is when we need to be most vigilant.
>

Hi Peter and all

When I first got into honey bees, in the '70's, there were no local
bee clubs here and no Bee-L, so I was able to make every mistake
possible.  Since then bee clubs and Bee-L have arrived.  When I first
heard of fondant and candy boards it was here on Bee-L and the posters
were from Britain and mid-eastern US.  I had never heard of either so
I asked an old timer, who said, "Guys around here used to use candy
boards but they were a waste of time! Never heard of fondant!"  I
asked Bee-L and got lots of answers and I thank Aaron for being there
for me with Bee-L.  I check my hives(lift the inner cover to see what
is going on) several times during the few warm(above 0C), sunny,
windless days we get throughout the winter.  I leave a 2" rim, used
for fall treatments & feeding, on all winter and give the bees fondant
when they start appearing in the rim space.  In 2016 I fed 45 kg to 13
hives and nucs
(ave 3.45 kg, max 6 kg, min 1 kg) from Jan to Apr.  We call our bees
'Ontario Mutts' which contain bits of most bees used here over the
last 100 years or so, including italians(likely high percentage) and
AMM(only a little left from 1800's).


Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
44N80W

PS:  Thanks again Aaron

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