sugar water leaking

octagon · May 26, 2008, 01:23:10 PM

Hi, I have a paint can with 4 tiny holes in it filled with the syrup setting on 2 sticks over the hole on the inside cover.
everything was working fine for six days til sometime in the past couple hrs.
there is syrup down on the pallet that the hive sets on.
i lifted the cover to see if i could find a problem but saw nothing.
should i hook up a few hoses and wash the syrup away or at least dilute it? thanks

Moonshae · May 26, 2008, 01:31:25 PM

I wouldn't worry about it, the bees will clean it up. If the can gets warm, the air inside expands and pushes out some syrup...when it cools, it sucks back more air.

octagon · May 26, 2008, 01:39:21 PM

Ok, thanks, this makes sence now, it's the first decent day in a week where the sun actually heated up anything.

JP · May 26, 2008, 01:40:32 PM

Quote from: octagon on May 26, 2008, 01:23:10 PM
Hi, I have a paint can with 4 tiny holes in it filled with the syrup setting on 2 sticks over the hole on the inside cover.
everything was working fine for six days til sometime in the past couple hrs.
there is syrup down on the pallet that the hive sets on.
i lifted the cover to see if i could find a problem but saw nothing.
should i hook up a few hoses and wash the syrup away or at least dilute it? thanks

The potential is there for the bees to be covered with syrup and drown, or die struggling to get free of the stickyness.

Try and figure it out, you may need a vent hole at the top of your can, but be careful again, if your holes are too big the syrup will run out prematurely.

If you are fighting it, you could always feed with a gallon size baggie.

...JP

Bee-Bop · May 26, 2008, 01:57:25 PM

Did I read this last post correctly;
" Put a vent hole in the top of your can "

I might be wrong, but " Don't do that, it will all run out "

Bee-Bop

DaveKow · May 26, 2008, 02:51:22 PM

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,13666.msg97649.html#msg97649

JP · May 26, 2008, 05:19:36 PM

Quote from: Bee-Bop on May 26, 2008, 01:57:25 PM
Did I read this last post correctly;
" Put a vent hole in the top of your can "

I might be wrong, but " Don't do that, it will all run out "

Bee-Bop

That's why I said Try and work it out, yeah the vent hole may make it run, wasn't sure, but the can's leaking out, so something needs to be done, yes, that may have been a bad suggestion, if so thanks for catching it.

...JP

Camp9 · May 26, 2008, 10:18:03 PM

One other thing that might be happening is your syrup may be fermenting, if this is the case it is producing CO2 and will push it out the holes. Only way to tell is to open the lid and smell it.

Camp

Ross · May 26, 2008, 11:22:17 PM

It's normal for some to come out. As long as the lid is on tight and you don't put a hole in it, it won't be a big problem. I tilt my hives to the front and offset the hole in top so the bees don't have to be directly under if they don't want to. The bees will quickly clean up the spills.

JP · May 26, 2008, 11:48:40 PM

Too large of holes in the cap will make it run too fast also.

...JP

Two Bees · May 27, 2008, 10:54:51 AM

I like using gallon jars with tiny holes in the lids. With glass, I don't seem to have a problem with expansion.

But as JP said, may sure that your holes are not too big. I have read that holes about 1/32 of an inch work well. G. Imirie mentions holes 5/64 but I think that may be a little large from my experience.