Feeder bucket question

[DaveKow]

I am a newbie and I plan on using a bucket feeder to feed my new packages of bees.  I understand you have to glue the center plastic thingy with the screen in it. 

The outer ring on the lid, do I leave that on, or rip it off.  Will the lid stay on if you take that ring off?  If you leave the ring on how do you open it after you close it once?

Thanks,
Dave

[Brian D. Bray]

I am a newbie and I plan on using a bucket feeder to feed my new packages of bees.  I understand you have to glue the center plastic thingy with the screen in it. 

Yes, glue it in with a good mutlipurpose glue--gorilla glue works well.

[/quote]The outer ring on the lid, do I leave that on, or rip it off.  Will the lid stay on if you take that ring off?  If you leave the ring on how do you open it after you close it once?

Thanks,
Dave
[/quote]

Tear it off, trying to open the bucket with it on is extremely hard.  you might also want to get a lid lifter/opener which most suppliers have for about $6.50 or occassionally from Harbor Freight for $2.00 when on sale.

[Angi_H]

Watch the bucket feeders closely. I had a brand new one that one day sitting on top of a nuc and it cracked from the inner part where the circle was cut to the outside rim drowning all of the bees in the nuc.

Angi

Just be careful

[DaveKow]

Would anyone suggest using the paint can method to avoid the cracking bucket?  That's is not the first time that I have heard of this happening.

[Brian D. Bray]

Would anyone suggest using the paint can method to avoid the cracking bucket?  That's is not the first time that I have heard of this happening.

That is my #1 favor way to feed bees.  Buy a few unused 1 gallon paint cans from the hardware store and pop a few holes in the lid with and 18 guage nail.  Don't drive the nail very hard, you want the inverted pyramid to be visible when the nail is removed.  Feed it to the bees the same way as you would the pail feeders--a dozen holes in a 50 cent piece sized area in the center of the lid is all it takes.