Top Feeder Comparison

[manfre]

Free shipping time is quickly approaching and I'm building my shopping list. I currently have entrance feeders and would like to upgrade to top feeders for next year, but I'm not sure which model is better. I've read Robo's Feeder Comparison and Michael Bush's feeding page.

The first option is the 10-Frame Hive Top Feeder with floats.

Advantages:

• Do not need a separate hive body.
• Bee access to syrup from center of hive

The other option is Plastic 10 Frame Hive Top Feeder.

Advantages:

• Cheaper
• Do not need to add a screen to allow refilling without direct bee access

I would appreciate if anyone can share their experiences with either of these models.

[homer]

Advantages:

• Do not need a separate hive body.

I guess I don't really see this as an advantage.  You either have an extra hive body or a hive top feeder.  It's a piece of equipment either way you look at it, and I think you can make more use of an extra hive body.

[Michael Bush]

Here are the advantages of various configurations of the entrance and the depth.  The best arrangement for depth if you have cool weather is shallower as it warms up quicker and is less of a trip for the bees from the cluster.  The best location for it is crossways of the top bars in the center as this is most likely to be close to the cluster.  Next best is down the center with the bars as this is next most likely to intersect the cluster.  Next would be both ends as one end or the other is likely to be closer to the cluster.  Last would be at one end which may or may not be near the cluster.

Pictures of three of these here:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#miller

[Pond Creek Farm]

I have tried various configurations of the hive top feeder and have always felt they came up short.  The closest to performing as I had hoped was the Mann Lake feeder, but it drown many bees.  I tried taping the bottom screen down as suggested by another member (Annette perhaps?), but I could not stop the drowning.  Ultimately, I simply put a super on and set a quart of syrup on top of the bars.  The bees drain the jars at different rates depending on the strength of the hive, but aside from having to make trips daily to the yard, it seems to work for me.  I am planning this spring to move up to gallon pickle jars to decrease my visits.  This may not work for your situation, but I find it best for mine.

[David LaFerney]

Yeah, I don't like drowning bees either.  I just procured a bunch of gallon pickle jars from my mom's ladies church group for just that reason.  I don't really mind daily trips to the bee yard too much though.  Still, it seems that if they are light in the fall you need to be able to fatten the hives asap. 

[alfred]

I have several of these :
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/infopage.asp?idPage=25

and one of these:
holds the most and the polystyrene insulates a little,
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=409

The top one the mann lake I bought the inserts, cheaper  and easier by they do tend to build bur comb on the underside. The plastic ones you are looking at don't look like you would have that problem and it looks like they are cheaper also cheaper shipping. But they also look like they would hold less.

The others you are looking at look like they are rather elaborate and heavy.  I think that it would be hard to get into the hive with them on without making a mess.. Also more expensive and the shipping...

The more hives I get the more I appreciate cheap and easy. I'm probably going to try baggies next year, or community feeding, just to see.

Top feeders are big and unmanageable when full or even part full, makes inspection more of a chore but makes filling and feeding a large quantity easier.

Right now I am using division board feeders. $5 Cheap..
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDetail.asp?idproduct=484&idCategory=

Note that these are the mediums which is what I run....     So if you order be sure to get the right size for your boxes. I think that they make a 2 gallon one in a deep size.
These are nice because inside the hive where they can get to when it is colder. They work well but you need to put some screen in so they can climb out. You can use to feed straight sugar in winter.  They need refilling more often, but much easier to inspect hive. Also easier to clean the feeder itself.

For spring and new hive I think top feeder.. for fall and late fall winter division board.

Just my thoughts,
Alfred

[annette]

OK I use the Mann Lake Feeders as listed above and do not have anymore drowned bees ever since I started to duct tape the screens down and the bees cannot be pushed under them.

I like these feeders when you really have to feed a lot of syrup all at once as they hold so much syrup. They are great as long as the bees drink up all the syrup.  Occasionally the bees do not finish the syrup and then it can get messy with trying to empty the syrup where it will not cause a robbing situation and many bees still clinging to the bottom of the feeder.

All in all it has worked out for me.  I also like the baggie feeders when you just have to feed for a short period of time.

[Sparky]

Have never used the polystyrene top feeders. How much do they hold ? As annette indicated the problem with the Mann Lake ones is the sealing off of the screens well enough to keep the bees from squeezing between the molded grooves and the screens. I found some plastic material used to protect the teeth on bad saw blades made the edge of the screen fit tight into the molded grooves to keep them out. Also annette, don't know how many actually got drowned when filling when the reservoirs are low, but if you cut some 1/4"dowel rods and place them between the molded sections behind the screen they float and push the bees up as it fills. Just make sure you make them short enough to let them go all the way to the bottom to get to all of the syrup.

[manfre]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to order the wooden feeder with the entrance along the center. It makes a lot of sense that the bees would have an easier time getting to the syrup from the middle of the hive instead of from the edges.

Putting a ventilated inner cover on top of the feeder should prevent any robbing from the top. Hopefully the hives are never weak enough to allow robbing from the bottom entrance.

I was a little worried about trying to get in to the hive with a mostly full feeder, but I think I can plan ahead to prevent that. If my planning fails, I have strong lifting legs and should be able to move the feeder without spilling syrup everywhere.

Shipping weight is not an issue thanks to the free shipping offers! This is going to be an expensive cyber monday.

[Robo]

Putting a ventilated inner cover on top of the feeder should prevent any robbing from the top. Hopefully the hives are never weak enough to allow robbing from the bottom entrance.

Just be aware, the more pieces you stack on top, the more potential you create for leaving cracks that ants can access through.  With the bees confined below and in the feeder, the ants have free access to the syrup as the bees can not get to them to chase them off.

[Bee-Bop]

I have to agree with Annette and others;
They ain't all they are cracked up to be, Syrup is heavy, 3 gal plus is a lot of weight. When a flow comes in they stop taking syrup, then you got problems.
Actually a lot of drowned bees are caused by the keeper dumping a bucket of syrup in too fast, bees cannot get away in time. [ Again heavy to hold on to ]
Also as pointed out if you have many ants, you will probably have a lot more.

Any ways, Good Luck [ But I would not expect miracles.]

Bee-Bop