help with hive top feeder

[hummingberd]

Could someone tell me how these work? It's probably so simple, I just don't see it, but I'm not sure where the bees would get access to the sugar. This model cam from Brushy Mountain.

Thanks for your help!

[high rate of speed]

need more info.Is it a box style feeder or a pail?

[Rosies]

If it's the brown plastic feeder with the white strips on it you remove the inner cover and place it on top of the hive body then put the outer cover over that.
We made what we call feeder frames to go over the feeder before placing the top on but if you have an extra shallow, medium or deep you can also place one of those over it. We find these work quite well.

[hummingberd]

this is one of the brown plastic top feeders. Not a pail feeder. Do the bees have problems with drowning in the syrup? Do I need to put floats in there? How do the bees get up into the feeder? Is it true that these cause problems with robbing?

So many questions, I know...

[Ardilla]

The bees crawl up and over the brown plastic lip on the two sides of the feeder (under the white plastic piece). The only drown bees I've had were ones that flew in while I was filling it. I haven't had a robbing problem either. The only time I fed only one hive in the yard, I reduced the entrance to a 3 inch slot. If there is a dearth - there could be a robbing problem, haven't seen it yet.

[Otter]

Look at the underside of the feeder - there is a slot where the bees can crawl up, then across the under/inside of the white plastic section to access the syrup. If the white sections are snapped down and into the brown body of the feeder properly, the bees can't get in and drown. I had one white piece that was slightly warped or something, and which resulted in a mess. They're now screwed to prevent a repeat.

[sds888]

I just got one of these in the mail last week. I put it on filled it up and went away for vaction. I came back yesterday hundreds of bees drowned. I then relized that one of the white strips is warped. So check it if you have one. now I have to find a way to fix it.

[hummingberd]

Ok, so the white pieces need to be snapped into place correctly. How do I know it's done correctly? Pardon me for being so lame, but I just can't seem to envision how the bees access the syrup without getting in to drown in the syrup. Thanks

Anybody have pics?

[Ardilla]

Apparently mine came properly contructed, but at the time I wasn't sure they were. The white plastic piece should be inside the tabs at the bottom of the brown plastic pan. So looking from the top you should see the brown tabs that restrict the white plastic piece. The white plastic piece should be close to touching if not touching the bottom of the brown pan. At least the gap should be less than a bee space.

[odfrank]

Make sure the cover is on bee tight. If bees can get in from the top you will drown hundreds of robbers. Ants are a problem also.

[gingerbee]

I'm not familiar with this particular feeder, but I have a wooden hive top feeder that has wooden slats that you place in the feeder which are supposed to float above the sugar syrup. They get watelogged (or syrup-logged ) and a few bees have drowned I try to place something under the slats so they can't sink down into the syrup.

[hummingberd]

thanks for the help everyone. My husband is brilliant, and he explained to me how this hive top feeder worked. I never would have thought it worked that way, which is probably why I was so confused...I have the feeders on, and they are 1/2 full. I just want to see how it goes before I use too much.

Thanks for all the help!

[AdelJeff]

I have been thinking of getting some of these but don't like the style with bee entrances on both sides. Mann Lake has style that has entrance in centerwith screen bee guard rather than plastic. My question is for winter feeding isn't the cluster going to be closer to the center to go up to get syrup rather than making it to ends?
Maybe it really doesn't matter??? I have used pails over center incover hole and was thinking of something that would be easier to fill and wouldn't drip down in winter.
Thanks for your help.
Jeff

[paulnewbee1]

Remember that in the winter the bees wont eat much syrup because of our weather if the syrup is below 65 or so they wont eat any at all. I tried this last year with the Mann lake feeder the bees ate it through the end of Sept then about in a week in Oct. then it got cold and they stopped eating. So I took it off my two deeps. put in three frames of honey.

Plus I do get a few that die in the screen but not as many as with a frame feeder had 100's die even with three floats.

[Ardilla]

I have been thinking of getting some of these but don't like the style with bee entrances on both sides. Mann Lake has style that has entrance in centerwith screen bee guard rather than plastic.

In theory the bees can access more feed with the side entrances if the hive is tipped. Though I doubt it makes much difference. The main negative I have with the plastic feeders is that it is more difficult to remove from the hive if there is feed in it. I don't check the bees that often so it hasn't been a problem. They can usually empty the feeder in a week.

[sds888]

Is this an ok feeder for the winter and when should you put it on in the winter?