top-feeders

[zzzzzzzzpr]

I bought some top feeders that sit in a super. they hold about 3 gal. I was wondering how much to give them and how often should I change the sugar water.

[buzzbee]

I'd give them a gallon to start and see how it goes. Be sure they don't fill all the comb with syrup and leave the queen without a place to lay. Also be sure that the screen is sealed along it's edges so bees can't crawl around the wrong side and drown. I needed to caulk mine in.
see at about 0:32 here:
http://youtu.be/wWtBvEbAI9Q

[Steel Tiger]

I'd give them a gallon to start and see how it goes. Be sure they don't fill all the comb with syrup and leave the queen without a place to lay.

Couldn't you just give them an extra super? Once the super is filled, stop feeding.

[BeeMaster2]

I'd give them a gallon to start and see how it goes. Be sure they don't fill all the comb with syrup and leave the queen without a place to lay.

Couldn't you just give them an extra super? Once the super is filled, stop feeding.

Then they are making sugar honey. Not real honey. The purpose of feeding them it to get the population up ready for making your honey, not to make honey from sugar. 
Jim

[Steel Tiger]

Then they are making sugar honey. Not real honey. The purpose of feeding them it to get the population up ready for making your honey, not to make honey from sugar. 
Jim

Right, but if there's no flow and you need to feed, why not give them something to fill besides the brood nest?
Once the flow starts, remove the super that they're storing the sugar in and replace with an empty. Then store the frames with the sugar until needed, such as fall feeding.
It seems like a simple enough solution to keep the bees from filling the brood area with sugar therefore giving the queen plenty of room to keep laying.

[sc-bee]

Then they are making sugar honey. Not real honey. The purpose of feeding them it to get the population up ready for making your honey, not to make honey from sugar. 
Jim

Right, but if there's no flow and you need to feed, why not give them something to fill besides the brood nest?
Once the flow starts, remove the super that they're storing the sugar in and replace with an empty. Then store the frames with the sugar until needed, such as fall feeding.
It seems like a simple enough solution to keep the bees from filling the brood area with sugar therefore giving the queen plenty of room to keep laying.

Or you feed and let them draw the comb until the flow. You take the filled comb away and let the bees rob it out. Then you have drawn comb especially if you are trying to draw comb for nucs