Random thought - feeding fondant

[HomeBru]

I have one hive that's struggling and may not be supplied for the winter come fall. I have been doing some digging on buying -vs- making fondant as I'm considering it for a winter feed source. One fondant recipe I found has marshmallows as it's base and it got me thinking.

Has anyone considered feeding bees with marshmallows? Probably not enough sugar I'm guessing. My big concern is if that recipe will provide the right amount of sugar or if the "traditional" sugar and gelatin based recipe would be better.

Just some mid-morning rambling...

Jay

[Michael Bush]

Why not just feed them sugar?

[HomeBru]

I'll most likely feed sugar, but I got digging, and digging, and distracted, and digging and ended up with marshmallows.

Amazingly, alcohol was not involved either...  :-D

[BjornBee]

A struggling hive has different issues at play other than the amount of feed needed for winter.

I would concentrate at this point in raising brood and getting the hive strong over the next couple months.

Come the end of September or October, you as the beekeeper can give them all the feed they will need to go through winter.

It is the amount of bees that is important. Figure out why they are struggling, then correct that. Feed can always wait. Way too many people focus on hive weight in getting bees ready for winter. But the brood raised in fall, and the health of the cluster, is a larger factor at play not easily corrected as hive weight can.