there seems to be too many dead bees in my top feeders ( i have seven hives)...i think i like my front feeder better.
why the dead bees and what do you think?
What kind of hive top feeder? Screened? Where did you buy them?
I had to put silicone around the bottom and sides to keep them from getting out.
they are screened top feeders that i got from mann lake ( i think)...
These are the hive top feeders I use, and I love them. Almost no drownings at all!! Also, very easy to add to since the girls are always behind the piece of plexi that creates the accessway. Just take the cover off, dump in more liquid, and away you go! I get more drownings when I have the cover off to add more syrup than I do during use!! :D
(http://www.betterbee.com/images/Poly_Hive_Top_Feeder.jpg)
Quote from: filmmlifthere seems to be too many dead bees in my top feeders
1) If you use too viscous syrup, bees will stuck into syrup.
2) If you have too big liquid openings and other bees press them under the liquid.
3) If the surfaces are too slippery for bee's claws, you should handle them with sand paper.
4) If you fill at once the container, bees in the suckle department will leave under surface. Let bees move away when you put more liquid.
5) If syrup is too hot, bees will die under surface.
I like the top feeders because it cuts down on robbing. I have had little problem with dead bees. A number drowned when I began but i was using the split top feeder with the floating rafts. I still use both types but I modified the split tops with hardware cloth instead of the floating rafts. No drowndings since. I perfer the split top feeder because I can feed syrup and pollen or I can place baggies in either side.
For winter syrup I now use 5lbs sugar to 3 qts water. It is a little thin but they seem to take it up better. I dont have any leaks. When I used a 1 to 1 mixture in the miller screened top feeder it crystalized before they took it all up.
Good luck.
With me only having 3 hives this second I use front feeders but plan to go to hive top feeders next year when I add a planned 10 more hives. I think they are both great. :)
I have a hive top feeder that looks exactly like the one Mannlake sells.
To get to the syrup, the bees can either crawl down the hardware screen or on the smoothe black plastic that the feeder wall is made of. I think a lot of bees failed to crawl up the smoothe plastic walls of the feeder and drowned. I've tossed out over a cup of them at one time.
My solution was to cut out and glue some common window screed to the smooth wall of the feeder for the bee's legs to hold onto. I haven't had any drownings since.
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