last Sunday i put a "Miller" hive top feeder on a hive. the feeder sits on top of the brood boxes and i use a medium super between the feeder and the top cover.
it looks like this:
(https://www.dadant.com/catalog/images/M01451.jpg)
i checked the hive several times to see how much 1:1 the girls were taking and everything was cool. on Thursday i opened the top cover to discover about 100 bees floating in the 1:1 and a huge ball along one side of the medium super. i have no clue how they got in. needless to say, i had to take control of the situation. luck would have it, the 1:1 syrup was nearly gone - i only had to dump out about a cup. i decided to remove the feeder all together to sort out how they got in - i test fit everything on some woodenware and everything overlaps so there are no gaps - very confusing. i'm planning to add more feed this weekend, but i still have no idea how they got in.
anyone using this hive top feeder and have them get in?
It sounds like they were being robbed... bees getting in from under the top cover. If you have a notched inner cover just plug the notch or push your tele cover tight to the notch.
Scott
If the cover sits on the medium thats covering the feeder,i would not even use the inner cover . Let the outer cover sit tight to the medium box.The bees cant get up from below to propolise it.
If you've got the inner cover above the feeder I'd remove it or put it under the feeder.
i'm not using the inner cover, just the feeder, a medium super around the feeder, and the top cover.
the hive was not being robbed - i have only one hive - no feral hives near me that i'm aware of. still not sure how they got into the feeder.