missouristatebeekeepers.myfreeforum.org

Rob Chance · Joined: 04 May 2009 Posts: 7 Location: Ste Genevieve Co

Could someone please explain to me how bees feed out of a hive top feeder?
I went out Sunday morning to put feeders on 4 nucs I recieved the night before.
After pulling the feeders out of the box, I looked them over real good, and I just don't see how the bees actually get to the syrup. The feeders are the brown plastic hive top feeders from Drapers.
I'm sure I'm missing something here, I just wonder how the bees actually get to the syrup. Embarassed

I eventually just used gallon ice cream buckets (with small holes in the lid) inverted over the inner cover, inside a deep with the telescoping cover on top. Rob

euman · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

I have one of these feeders myself, and I understand your confusion. Seems everyone who looks at it the first time asks the same question.
Here's how it works:
The bees access the syrup at the ends where the white plastic screens are. They climb up from underneath and there's just enough room to go under the plastic holes and down to the level of the honey.
I used my feeder last fall and early this spring with good results. There are two minor issues though: One, the plastic surface is not conducive to propolisation, so make sure you have weight on the top cover so it doesn't slide to one side on a windy day. And two, I've had a couple of people tell me they had drowned bees in their syrup, due to the top cover not being flush with the top of the feeder, so make sure the white screen is flush with the brown your outer cover.

Rob Chance · Joined: 04 May 2009 Posts: 7 Location: Ste Genevieve Co

Thank you Euman! After reading your response, I went and took another look at the feeders, now it makes perfect sense! The bees aren't using a whole lot of the syrup now, but as the buckets go empty I will replace them with the feeders. Thanks again, Rob