Hive Top Feeder on top of inner cover?

[Jessaboo]

Hi folks -

I am really sorry if y'all are just plain tired of first-year keeper questions but I don't know where else I would get this info! I am very grateful for the info I have gotten in the past - it is great to be able to get so many informed opinions and see what others have done that has worked (or not!!)

Anyway, can anyone give me a compelling reason I can't (or shouldn't) put my hive top feeder on TOP of the inner cover instead of underneath it?

My reasons for wanting to do this include ease of use (I am having a small ant problem that would be easier to control without the inner cover), slowing down the amount of time it takes the hive to use the feed and keeping check on the chance of robbing without having to reduce the entrance since we still have some vent/bearding issues.

Thanks.

- Jess

[Pond Creek Farm]

I have done both, but like you, I am a first year and have no idea which is correct.  I know that I had the same ant problem regardless of whether I had an inner cover or went without.  I tried to kill the ants with a borax, water and jelly mixture I read about on the forum, but it seemed to make no difference.  I am wondering, however, if borax laundry booster was the right thing to use . (I did not find anything else that said borax on it at the store).  I may try to use the baggie method discussed on the forum to see where that leadsd me.

[TwT]

anytime around here you use a feeder you will have to fight the ants, the top feeder goes on top of the hive and intercover isn't needed at all, just store it somewhere until the top feeder comes off, on dealing with the ants, my hives sit on cement blocks on the ground spread about 8 feet apart the 2 ten foot 4x4's on top of the blocks then I can put 5-6 hives on them, I keep the grass cut down and spray around the block's with Triazicide that can be bought at Lowe's of Home Depot, thats the only way I can keep the ant's out,  the wooden stands people say to use old coffee cans for each leg and put oil in them but when it rains oil floats so when the can gets full oil runs out.

[Michael Bush]

I would not use the inner cover with a hive top feeder, myself.  Many of the inner covers have notches which give access to robbers who then drown.  It's just one more complication in a system that results in disaster too often anyway.  Skip the inner cover and make sure the top is bee tight.

[qa33010]

   Agreed with the no inner cover.  I also smear some mineral oil (FGMO) from the drug store or pharmacy around the box just below the feeder.  Keeps ants out for me and keeps them from ruining the syrup with their dead rotting drowned corpses so the bees get more and it stays fresh longer.  My strong hives keep the ants out of the inside and I don't worry about them.  It's cheap and effective for me. ;)

[annette]

I like that suggestion about the mineral oil. Sounds good to me. Thanks

[EasternShore]

My Mentor, who is the Pres. of the Deleware Bee Assoc. has me useing a 2 gal. Bucket from BetterBee placed on the opening of the inner cover. I then have put an empty deep with the vented cover to close off the area. I have not been getting robbed anymore and the ants are no problem. Not sure what would happen with a new swarm as they would be overwhelmed by robbers.

So far this has worked for me.


( I'm new at this and follow my mentors guidelines.)

[Jessaboo]

Even better!

Ze inner hive cover...she is gone!

I will def try the mineral oil trick, too. I feel bad complaining about my ants now - it seems I don't have nearly the problem I thought I did. My girls don't leave the sugar syrup in the feeder long enough for any ants to drown!

Thank you for the advice.

- Jess

[KONASDAD]

Jess-make sure your feeder is bee tight. I duct tape the screen inside the feeder and place window foam insulation tape around the top of the super to prevent bees from getting to syrup form inside and outside. Top feeders work great, but when they fail, you get hundreds of dead bees in hrs.