Top Feeder

[kyfarmer]

I built a top feeder that holds close to 4 gals. Just made the box and bought an insert. The suppler suggested a screen cover over it incase bees get in the top.

But as a read all of your posts I hear a common ring. All new beeks poke around too much in the hive. So, instead of me looking every couple of days to see if they are feeding I was thinking of making a 'guage' to veiw sugar suryp level.

Should I do this or just check it ever so often? I don't have any idea how long this amount of suryp will last.

Btw, reading all of your comments has prompted me to order a second swarm and try it on all mediums. I finished my first build and brought it in the house to paint it. Now all I lack is the metal top and I will get that made tommorrow. On a diffrent note- the smell of paint in the house really seemed to irratate a certain woman I know. LOL

[randydrivesabus]

if your feeder is outside of the inner cover then checking it is not really invasive.

[Bizzybee]

If your feeder design is what I think it is, a screen cover on top of it will save you a lot of grief later. It's not an issue of how often you peek in. That can't be helped.

The problem is that tops rarely fit nice and snug and are subject to warping. It doesn't take much of an opening for snooping bees to find their way under the top and into the feeder. Next thing you know, you take a peek and find 500 dead bees in your feeder. Effectively turning it into a bee trap.

You can use any kind of screen you wish. It doesn't take anything special. Put it on nice and tight with enough staples that it doesn't have any places it pops up that a bee can get under it. They are quite the little industrious pillagers whens there's sugar to be had.

[Michael Bush]

One of the nice features of a typical top feeder is that you can check them without opening the hive or facing the bees.