Feeding for my new hives

[FlexMedia.tv]

Hello,
I'm new, so here come all the new questions. I've been reading this forum, watching videos and reading 3 books to help me. Thanks for your help too. I plan to use an entrance feeder because it looks simple enough. I've been reading about top feeders and they seem more convenient especially in the winter, but the one model I looked at got bad ratings because they drown bees. Is there a good one out there? This forum has a video how to build a better one but I'm not that handy yet.

Thanks!
Art

[GSF]

Hey Art, Welcome! Ask as many questions as you can think of. I've been here 3 or 4 years and I still do. Tons of experience on this website and folks ain't afraid to share it either.

I learned the hard way not to use entrance feeders. When I feed I feed sugar water mixture through the inner cover. I use my drill press and got a bit that would open up the size of a jar lid. I punch holes in the jar lid and the bees pull it out. I would advise that you get some advice from our northern beeks on here. It was 70 degrees today here. Your weather may dictate a different approach.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Will do, I'll take as much info as I can! Do you have a pic of the set up? We had a warm up today at 57. Thursday we had 10 inches of snow!

[LKBruns]

I use a system to feed found on http://www.honeybeesonline.com/

He calls it the Burns feeding system.  It's worked well for me.  The screen keeps the bees in the hive when you change the bottles

[Rurification]

Welcome to the forum.   I use the feeder jars with holes in the lids, too.   Set them upside down on the frames or screened inner cover and surround them with a medium box.   Works great.  No drowning, easy to check, no robbing.   

[mtnb]

Hi Art. Welcome! I'm entering my second year and only have one hive. I've just been using a freezer gallon ziplock bag with a few slits on top, laying on the top bars, in a small 2" wedge. Never had one drown last year. I also like how they propolize it down so when I remove the baggie, I scrape off the propolis and save it. This method wouldn't be very economical if you feed often or have a lot of hives though.

[FlexMedia.tv]

LKBruns, Rurification. That may be what I need. I haven't started yet but we do get bad winters here and the area I want to start my hives, I don't frequent every day.
MT Bee Girl. That may work as a modification to the first (and only) top feeder I saw. Man, they sure did complain about that particular one to make me have 2nd thoughts. I will only have two hives.

Thanks,
Art

[Richard M]

I've tried entrance feeders and the upturned jar with perforated lid, zip bags etc.

The method I now use is a plastic food container with a perforated corflute raft which floats on top of the sugar syrup, sat inside an empty super on top of the frames. I used to lay some leafy twigs in there to make climbing in easier (probably unnecessary really) and rarely have problems with drownings - might get one or 2 but this is probably 100-1000x lower than the mortality if they had to collect that volume of nectar in the field.

By corflute, I mean the corrugated reinforced plastic sheet used for advertising signs etc - http://www.7signs.com.au/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/Corflute_Sign_Melbourne_4.jpg

It's simple and easy to use or move without spillage or mess.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Another good idea! Thanks for the pic. I'm a visual person and can use those visual ideas.
Thanks,
Art

[little john]

I'm a visual person and can use those visual ideas.

Well, if it's pics you like - here you go ...

Like many others, I favour inverted jars with a couple of pin-holes in their lids placed over holes in crown boards (inner covers). There's zero danger of drowning, the remaining contents can be immediately seen, and jars swapped if needed.

Here are shots of a trial I conducted many years ago of using mesh underneath the jars. I chose a pretty grotty used jar for the photo mock-up - it WAS cleaned afterwards !




To keep the feed warm, I then place suitably crafted expanded polystyrene over the box:




And then a cover over the jar itself. That way the warm feed is taken both earlier (if you're so inclined) and later in the season than cold syrup.




And finally a brood box is placed on top, with a telescoping cover over that.


Although mesh placed under the jar does allow the jar to be removed without getting a face-full of bees - for 3 or 4 years now I've been running this system without mesh, which enables me to place fondant and/or 'damp' sugar over the holes. All it requires to remove or change jars is a sheet of thin stiff plastic inserted between board and jar. Here's a shot taken a few weeks ago of sugar being scoffed.




And here's a curiosity - a 5 over 5 nuc where sugar is being taken in preference to fondant - this is happening on many of my hives, dunno why ...




This is a feeding system I can't see me ever changing from, but whether it would suit your situation is another matter. As with all things bee-ky, you need to find a way of keeping bees which suits you, your own location and your particular strain of bees.

Very best of luck,
LJ

Sorry - missed a few words out (added in blue) - which I'm sure you figured out ok, anyway   

[jalentour]

Art,
LJ has the right idea. 
I have several inner feeders and the jar feeder is my preferred method. 
I had not thought about insulating the syrup or putting sugar in them, nice idea.

Mann Lake sells inner feeders that have inner ladders to keep the bees from drowning and has worked well for me, but, I still prefer the jars because I don't need to open the hives to refill.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Great!
Thanks, and thanks for the pictures. Makes it easier to learn when I can see what it looks like.
Thanks!
Art

[kamie]

jvalentour,
do you have a photo of the Mann Lake feeder?  It looks like a variation of the fat beeman type feeder with the ladder to keep the bees from drowning.  I was going to make my own, but if time gets short it may be an option.
thanks

[imcamod36]

Art,
We have had good luck so far using the beeMax Hivetop feeder from Betterbee (www.betterbee.com).  We just started beekeeping last year, have used this on two hives, and have not had any bees drown.  We plan on getting three more this year as we expand to 5 hives.
Mark

[FlexMedia.tv]

Mark,
The Betterbee top feeder is better put together than the feeder I looked at that a bunch of people were complaining about. Thanks for sending the link. Good luck with your new hives!

Art