top feeder drownings

[coondogger]

Anyone else have problems with the Mann Lake top feeder's mesh allowing bees into the syrup resevoir? I've tried duct tape and it comes loose. I've tried wax and they gnaw through it. The result is hundreds of bees getting into the resevoir. I've provided them with wood floats but that doesn't get to the heart of the problem: sealing the screen. Any ideas?

[deantn]

I personally don't own any but know of a beek that has them and he had to use silicone caulk on his feeders to keep the bees from drowning.
A good thick bead of ti around where it joins the plastic sides, seemed to have worked last season for him.

[Alex Cantacuzene]

When I first used my home-made Miller feeders I had drwoning bees. I looked at the screened "troughs" and realized that the ends were very close to the side walls but obviously not close enough. So, I took the troughs back out and made screen ends and soldered them onto the wire troughs and reinstalled by stapling everything tight to the cross-barriers and the sides. That stopped it. This week I had some drowned bees in only one side. Found out that during a feeding I had hooked a corner of a screened trough and bent it in. Not much, but it must have given them the chance. By the way, I now take a small aquarium net with me when filling the top feeders. I can clean out any ants and other things quickly and then just wash it with running water. Take care and have fun

[odfrank]

I just had some drownings in plastic hive top feeders where robbers were finding tiny gaps under crooked covers. I solved the problems using very flat honey house pallets with bricks on top for the lids.

[Bizzybee]

Yes I have used them for quite a long time. The first thing I do is run a bead of chalk around the screen when I get a new one. Lasts forever, well you know what I mean.

Next step is to put a piece of standard screen on the top of the feeder. Staple it all the way around. That keeps any bees from getting under the hive top if you don't have a nice flat fit all the way around. And you have zillions of bees from the surrounding hives getting in to the reservoirs. You'll find your SHB's crawling around on top of the screen to trying to get in to the syrup, making them easy targets for the ole hive tool!

Other than those two simple mods when you get them they are great feeders. You will be liking life again after that's done!

[Sherri]

You may need to crimp the wire screen edges with a pliers. I can email you the directions to do this if you want. Send inquiry to sherrih@mannlakeltd.com and I'll send you the attachment.

[nsmith1957]

I had similar problems with the Miller Style feeders I built, with the addition of leaking. I designed and build some hive top feeders that eliminated these problems. It uses an inexpensive plastic pan (Wal-Mart, Sterlite) to hold the syrup. If any want a copy of the drawings send me an email (nsmith1957(at)comcast(dot)net) with "Feeder Drawings" in the subject field and I will send you a copy attached to my return email.

[Troy]

I bought the plastic hive top feeders from Brushy Mtn and only had drownings in 1 out 6. I had the plastic cover inserted wrong on the one .

I also had some robbers drown by getting in under a warped cover once. I fixed it like someone else said - I used 1/8" HW cloth stapled over the top. Works great to keep out the robbers and I can refill by pouring right thru it.

I like the idea of an aquarium filter. I have had occasions of mass drownings of carpenter ants. The running water is hard to find out in the bee yards though - the only running water out there is my own if you know what I mean.

[Steve717]

Yes I have used them for quite a long time. The first thing I do is run a bead of chalk around the screen when I get a new one. Lasts forever, well you know what I mean.

What kind of caulk do you use? I don't want to contaminate the syrup.

[Bizzybee]

Just silicon. I usually don't have an immediate need for them so they have plenty of time to sit a cure out before I put them to work.

[Jim Fischer]

Silicone caulk suitable for bathroom (wet) use will work, but as
cautioned above, let it cure for several days in a warm room
before deploying and filling the feeder.