Recovering from the disaster

beerman · June 26, 2010, 03:01:09 PM

Well I think the remaining bees and new queen are doing ok from my limited knowledge. I have watched them fly circles around the hive, go in and out, hang a little on the porch, and now saw some about 75 yards away on clover and flying back to the hive.
Let me know if this sounds normal.
BTW when I check the hive next week I will be removing the top feeder and switching to front feeders.

beerman · June 26, 2010, 03:17:30 PM

Here is a pic of what I have, finally got the camera working damm 3 year old :)

beerman · June 26, 2010, 03:28:40 PM

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
OK 2nd times a charm

buzzbee · June 26, 2010, 03:47:23 PM

I think there should be a box on top of the feeder,then a lid. The lid has to close off the top tight. If the bees crawl under the lid and slide down in the feededr,they will probably drown,. I believe the feeder is meant to be accessed from below,.

beerman · June 26, 2010, 04:03:24 PM

crap let me know if I have that set up wrong.

jgaito · June 26, 2010, 04:15:11 PM

i'm confused too. can you disassemble and take some photos of the feeder and your top cover ?

my top feeders are twice that tall and flush on all four sides of the hive bottom section. kinda like a medium super.

buzzbee · June 26, 2010, 07:45:06 PM

Beerman,where was this feeder purchased. It may help us to get an idea for sure of the type of feeder your using.
If it's the type of feeder :
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=761
You should set a box on top of of this feeder before the lid goes on and seal the top to keep the bees from entering from under the lid.
If it is left open you may start robbing of your new colony.
Any one have a pic of what I'm talking about?

beerman · June 27, 2010, 02:04:25 AM

I tried to put a box on it wont fit. I got it in a lot of stuff on craigslist it is a old dandnt one.

beerman · June 27, 2010, 02:17:14 AM

the top is not flat it is like a castle. it has 2 chambers and fencing in the middle. I box will not fit over it.

buzzbee · June 27, 2010, 08:09:35 AM

I have used one that looks like this and it sits nicely in a medium super. The top is flat so the lid fits tightly.
http://www.draperbee.com/beesupplies/supply%20images/Hive_Top_Feeder.jpg
Can yo get us a pic of what you have ? It may help.

riverrat · June 27, 2010, 11:08:02 AM

all said your hive sounds like its doing fine with what information you gave us. As stated before the hive top feeder needs to have a super around it. I use gallon pickle jars above the inner cover. When I used feeders like you have shown. I had trouble with the bees building ladder comb up between the 2 trays to get to the feeder. I got to ask why would you are changing to a hive front feeder. I have heard of people going from boardman (hive front feeders) to top feeders. But never the other way around. I'm interested in why you would do this. Most who have used these including me have found boardman feeders are good for promoting robbing

beerman · June 27, 2010, 11:56:35 AM

To many bees are drowning in the top feeder.

riverrat · June 27, 2010, 02:57:08 PM

Quote from: beerman on June 27, 2010, 11:56:35 AM
To many bees are drowning in the top feeder.

Putting a super body over it will help keep them from getting in on the top. I have heard of this happening. Before I would put a boardman feeder on I would use an inverted glass jar over the hole in the innercover for a feeder that's about a good as you can get

beerman · June 27, 2010, 03:03:02 PM

A super won't fit over it I tried.

iddee · June 27, 2010, 04:24:14 PM

A couple of boardman feeders will do fine. Just set them up 50 feet or so from the hive. They will find them. Or, set two boards about 3 inches apart and use the above mentioned jars with a couple of holes in the lid, again about 50 feet from the hive.

I set them on my porch so I can set and watch them feed.

TwoHoneys · June 27, 2010, 04:53:57 PM

Hey! I never even considered setting those boardman feeders somewhere away from the hive and letting the bees find it. I'm all over this one. Thanks, Iddee.

Liz

iddee · June 27, 2010, 05:23:26 PM

As someone said in another thread, "it isn't if, but when". It will happen.

Course Bee · June 27, 2010, 10:01:45 PM

As long as your not using an inner cover and the telescoping cover seals all the way around that feeder should work as intended. I haven't had to much problem with drowning in mine as long as I cover them when I'm doing inspections.

jgaito · June 28, 2010, 12:00:15 PM

much to my dismay my top feeder failed. i used a typical design with plastic drywall pans to hold the syrup. about two inches of straw and sticks, one inch of syrup. evidently the bees were drenched in what was wicked up by the material, dragged syrup up the sides of the pans and eventually could not escape the feeder. i saved most by plucking them up with a piece of straw and depositing them at the entrance where they crawled back in the hive to be cleaned up. i yanked the feeder and whipped up a deep with a bottom on which i set a one quart chick waterer that i covered with #8 wire. i really like the idea of the larger jar feeder but can someone explain to me how they don't just leak our all over the place ? the thing i through together pretty much works like a large hummingbird feeder. it can't leak.
for now i'm just going to use two of these waterers in the box and modify the bottom to bring back the top entrance. i
thanks.