6 Best Bee Feeders For Fondant Boards That Prevent Winter Starvation

That late winter cold snap is what gets you. The bees have made it through the worst of it, the queen is thinking about laying again, but their stored honey is nearly gone. This is the moment a healthy colony can starve, just weeks before the first nectar flow. Providing a solid food source like fondant is the best insurance policy you can have, but you need the right equipment to deliver it without chilling the hive.

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Why Fondant Boards Are Key For Winter Survival

Fondant, essentially a solid block of sugar, is the ideal emergency winter feed. Unlike liquid syrup, it won’t freeze, ferment, or add excess moisture to the hive. Condensation is a major killer of wintering bees; cold moisture dripping on the cluster is a death sentence. Fondant provides calories without the dangerous humidity.

Bees consume fondant by using their body heat and ambient moisture to dissolve the sugar’s surface. This means the food must be placed directly above the winter cluster, right where the heat is concentrated. You can’t just set a block on top of the frames under a flat lid. You need dedicated space to hold the fondant where the bees can easily access it without breaking their cluster.

This is where specialized feeders and shims come in. They create that crucial space and, in some cases, offer additional benefits like insulation and ventilation. The goal is to make the food accessible with minimal disruption and maximum efficiency, ensuring the colony has the fuel to survive until spring.

The Mann Lake Feeder Shim for Easy Fondant Access

Sometimes the simplest tool is the most effective. The feeder shim is little more than a wooden rim, the same dimensions as your hive body, that sits on top of your uppermost box. It has an entrance cut into one side, which can be useful for upper ventilation or as an entrance in deep snow.

Its primary job, however, is to create a shallow, empty space directly over the frames. You simply place your fondant block or patty inside the shim, put your inner cover on top, and close up the hive. The bees can move up from the frames and feed on the fondant without ever leaving the warmth of the hive’s interior.

This is a minimalist, low-cost approach. It doesn’t offer insulation and it’s a single-purpose piece of equipment. But for its intended job—providing space for emergency feed—it’s foolproof and affordable. If you just need a way to get fondant on the hive, a basic shim is all you really need.

Ceracell Top Feeder: Versatility for All Seasons

The Ceracell feeder is a workhorse, primarily designed for feeding liquid syrup in the spring and fall. It’s a molded plastic top feeder with separate compartments that allow bees to access syrup without the risk of drowning. Its clever design, however, makes it surprisingly useful for winter feeding, too.

Instead of filling it with syrup, you can place a large fondant block or several smaller patties directly in the feeder’s central reservoir. The bees can still access it from below through the feeder’s screened openings. This means one piece of equipment can handle all your feeding needs, from building up a new package in May to providing emergency rations in February.

The tradeoff is cost and complexity. A Ceracell feeder is significantly more expensive than a simple wooden shim. But if you value multi-use equipment and want to minimize the amount of gear you have to store, its year-round versatility is a major advantage. It’s an investment in a system, not just a single-season tool.

Dadant’s Vented Inner Cover for Fondant Patties

Moisture management is just as important as feeding in the winter. Dadant’s Vented Inner Cover tackles both problems with one elegant piece of equipment. It functions like a standard inner cover but has a built-in rim, creating a shallow space perfect for holding a 1-2 pound fondant patty.

The key feature is the set of screened ventilation holes at either end. These holes allow moist air, which rises from the cluster, to escape the hive before it can condense and drip back down. The rim holds the feed, and the vents keep the hive dry. It’s a brilliant two-for-one solution.

This design is ideal for the beekeeper who wants to proactively manage winter moisture while feeding. It integrates feeding and ventilation into a single management step. You’re not just adding calories; you’re actively improving the hive’s internal environment. For those in damp, cold climates, this can be a game-changer.

The DIY Mountain Camp Feeder: A Thrifty Option

The "Mountain Camp" method traditionally involves piling dry sugar onto newspaper over the top bars, all contained within a wooden rim. This same rim, however, is the perfect container for a large block of homemade or commercial fondant. For the hobbyist with basic tools, building one is a simple and rewarding project.

You can construct a feeder rim from scrap 1×4 or 1×3 lumber, cutting it to the dimensions of your hive boxes. Some beekeepers make them the full depth of a shallow super, allowing them to hold a massive amount of feed for a "set it and forget it" approach. Others prefer a shallower 2-inch rim for easier inspections.

This is the ultimate thrifty option. It costs pennies in materials and can be customized to your exact needs. You can add a small entrance hole or leave it solid. It gives you complete control and is an excellent way to use up leftover lumber from other farm projects.

Betterbee’s Candy Board for Optimal Insulation

In regions with brutally cold winters, heat loss is a major concern. The Betterbee Candy Board is designed specifically for this challenge. It’s a combination feeder rim and insulated cover, all in one unit.

The wooden rim is deep enough to hold a significant amount of fondant or hard sugar candy, providing food for the entire winter. The top of the board is a solid, insulated panel, often with an R-value of 5 or higher. This drastically reduces the amount of heat escaping from the top of the hive, where most heat is lost. The bees use less energy (and less food) to stay warm, and the fondant stays softer and easier to consume.

This is a premium product for a specific need. It’s the best choice for beekeepers in northern climates who prioritize insulation. The added cost is an investment in colony survival, reducing winter losses by tackling both hunger and heat loss simultaneously.

Lyson Polystyrene Top Feeder for Solid Feed

Polystyrene hives are known for their superior insulating properties, and Lyson’s feeders are no exception. While designed as top feeders for liquid, their deep reservoirs are perfectly suited for holding large blocks of fondant. The real advantage here is the material itself.

A standard wooden feeder shim offers almost no insulation. When you place a Lyson polystyrene feeder on top of your hive, you’re not just creating space for feed—you’re adding a thick, insulated blanket. This helps keep the cluster’s warmth contained, which in turn keeps the fondant block directly above them from becoming rock-hard in freezing temperatures.

This makes the Lyson feeder a fantastic dual-purpose tool. It serves as an excellent syrup feeder in the warmer months and doubles as an insulated fondant holder in the winter. For beekeepers already using polystyrene equipment, it integrates seamlessly. For those with wooden hives, it’s a simple way to add a significant layer of insulation right where it’s needed most.

Matching Your Feeder to Your Hive Management Style

There is no single "best" feeder; the right choice depends entirely on your climate, budget, and beekeeping philosophy. Thinking through your priorities will point you to the perfect tool for your apiary.

Here’s a simple framework to guide your decision:

• For the DIY Minimalist: The homemade DIY Mountain Camp Feeder is unbeatable. It’s cheap, effective, and can be built to your exact specifications.
• For the Efficiency Expert: Dadant’s Vented Inner Cover solves two major winter problems—feeding and moisture—in one simple step.
• For the "Buy Once, Use Forever" Beekeeper: The Ceracell Top Feeder offers incredible versatility, serving all your feeding needs from spring through winter with one piece of gear.
• For the Northern Beekeeper: Betterbee’s Candy Board or the Lyson Polystyrene Feeder are the clear winners, as their built-in insulation provides a critical advantage in harsh climates.
• For the Beginner on a Budget: The Mann Lake Feeder Shim is an inexpensive, no-frills entry point that gets the job done reliably.

Ultimately, winter feeding is about giving your bees a fighting chance. Whether you build a simple rim from scrap wood or invest in a high-tech insulated feeder, the goal is the same: to ensure they have the resources to survive until the dandelions bloom.

Choosing the right feeder for fondant isn’t just about preventing starvation; it’s about making your winter management easier and more effective. By matching your equipment to your specific climate and goals, you can walk into spring with strong, healthy colonies ready for the season ahead.