HiveAlive Fondant Patty, 2.2lb

Why use HiveAlive Fondant Patty?

Fondant is essential to prevent the starvation of bees over winter and early spring. By placing the fondant directly over the cluster they always have direct access to food.

Reasons they would need it are...

Stores too far away from the bee cluster: Their stores could be only a frame or two away but if too cold they can’t leave the cluster to access it and hence will starve.

Ran out of food: This can happen over winter but usually happens in spring when the bees are building up but there is no flow yet. They can very quickly run out of their stores leading to starvation and colony loss.

Cold snap in spring: The bees have built up and there has been a nectar flow but the weather gets cold again and the bees cannot fly and quickly use up any food they have collected and will very quickly starve if not fed.

HiveAlive and vitamins and amino acids in the fondant ensure better overwinter survival, improved gut health and optimal bee health.

Fondant can be used in queen rearing in queen cages, apideas, nucs etc.

What is HiveAlive Fondant Patty?

Fondant is a solid, sugar-based food that provides bees with essential carbohydrates. Compared to syrup, fondant contains less moisture, eliminating the risk of drying out the feed and preventing excess moisture in the hive.

When to use HiveAlive Fondant Patty?

• It can be used as an autumn feed but is mainly used to top up over winter, when it is too cold to feed syrup, or in late winter when bees are running out of stores.
• Because it is placed directly over the cluster, the bees do not have to leave the cluster to access food, minimising the chance of starvation.

How to use HiveAlive Fondant Patty?

• Fondant is put on top of the colony, either under or over the inner cover, so no feeders are needed.
• To feed HiveAlive Fondant, keep fondant in plastic wrapper and cut a 3”(8 cm/approx size of the HiveAlive logo) hole in the front of the packet and place the opening over the hole in the crownboard or directly over brood frames. Repeat as needed.

Please note, removing the plastic covering will cause the fondant to dry out.

Fondant is easy to handle and store and doesn’t cause robbing like syrup can.

If you don't use up all your patties in the season you bought them, don’t worry!

If opened, wrap them up with saran wrap to make sure they don’t dry out and keep them until you need them. Make sure to use them before the expiry date printed on the pack.

Top tip: you can also add some water (50/50 mix by weight of fondant to water, for 1 to 1 syrup) and gently heat to make a light sugar syrup!