# Can you mix fumidil-b with fondant?



## sammyjay (May 2, 2011)

Hi, I was wondering if you could treat for nosema successfully by mixing it with fondant? I have come to hate feeding sugar syrup and I want to start feeding fondant.


Nathan


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## arcowandbeegirl (Oct 11, 2010)

Dont know, would be concerned about the fact that the fumidil-b should be fed within 24 hours of mixing up. They probably wont eat the fondant within that time.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

There is a max temperature too if I remember the instructions. Fondant is basically fudge for bees and might be getting too stiff to have the Fumidil mix by the time it got cool enough not to kill it.


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## sammyjay (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for your replies.


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

sounds like you got your answer, Always remember you don't want antibiotics or miticides sitting in the hive longer than recommended or you run a good chance of the problem becoming resistant to what ever method you are incorrectly administering...Be part of the solution, not part of the problem...


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

Re:
Temperature.
The maximum temperature is 122º F for the mixing of Fumagillin into water.


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

Sammy, why do you not like feeding syrup?

Fall feeding of fumidil is so they have the syup for early spring when they symptoms of nosema start to show. Its to help with the spring stress. In the fall they consume some to they can drop the spore numbers, but most is for the January- March consumption.

Fondant is an emergency thing. Early spring when the stores are low and too cold to add syrup.


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

honeyshack said:


> Fall feeding of fumidil is so they have the syrup for early spring when they symptoms of nosema start to show.


 Sorry this cannot be , as fumidil has less than a few days life span once fed...


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

actual no.
If you keep the mixture in light only a few hours
Once in the hive and dried down and capped it lasts the season. The key is to keep it out of light and get it into the hive asap so they can do the job


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

honeyshack said:


> actual no.


 Thank you, But what happens to the millions of bottles of the stuff sitting on bee supply co. shelfs, Is it allready dead when we get it..:scratch:


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

That is why it is in a dark bottle. Most companies should have it stored in a dark place. Or at the very least out of the path of direct sunlight. I have read somewhere that it becomes "volitile" once mixed. However if it is in a dark bottle, that tells me to store away from light.

As a person who uses alot of vet supplies due to the farm as a whole, I have to know how to store medications. It is too costly not to.
Dark bottles are stored in a cupboard out of the path of light. Meds requiring refridgeration, stored in the fridge etc.

If your bee supply stores on the shelf, remind them of this. Paying that price for inert medication is not a good thing. Then ask for a bottle still in the case.


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## sammyjay (May 2, 2011)

honeyshack said:


> Sammy, why do you not like feeding syrup?


Feeding syrup is to difficult in my opinion. I had lots of struggles with the one feeder. And making fondant is much easier than making syrup.




honeyshack said:


> If your bee supply stores on the shelf, remind them of this. Paying that price for inert medication is not a good thing.


Mine does. Does that mean that it will for sure be ruined?


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

thanks honeyshack


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## WI-beek (Jul 14, 2009)

there are ways of making fondant that do not require heat. They may not be true fondant but if one can make feed that will not spoil the fum-b and is ate by the bees in late winter or early spring before we can open the hives, it could be a great new tool, seriously! If you feed fondant on top of hive like I do (I dont make it on the stove) and the bees move into it in January or February when they start raising brood it might work better than standard application. I am not saying it will, just questioning it.


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