Brushy Mountainbee Farm 10-Frame Hive Top Feeder w/Floats

[adrianthomp]

New-Bee here with a few observations on Brushy Mountain Bee Farm 10-Frame Hive Top Feeder w/Floats. On their website they state........ "There are two separate compartments both of which have floats to keep the bees from drowning."

After purchasing these and got them home, I looked at the floats, they were poorly made and not spaced correctly. Thinking that I should still give them a try, I placed them on the hive with syrup and within a week I had about 200-300 dead bees, they drowned in the syrup. I quickly removed them and replaced them with entrance feeders.

Does anyone have any experiences with these feeders from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm? Or found a fix for this issue with the feeders? I would return them, but their policy states if the item is used no returns.

Thanks
Adrian

[RayMarler]

I've used them and yes you are correct, the floats do not have the mold seams trimmed off and the floats bind and cause bee drowning. I took a wood rasp file and filed down the mold seams on the floats and they then floated correctly without binding.

I also had the problem of the feeder not being long enough and would slip down into the box, as the top bar ear that is supported on the frame rests in the box would slip off and the feeder would fall down and be resting on the top bar of the frame below it. The feeders were too short by about 1/4 inch or more so I made pieces of wood to glue in under the ear tabs to give the top bar of the feeder more length so it would then be supported on both ends on the frame rails.

I was disappointed the product took so much fabrication to make it work. And, after 3 years or so of using, the top bar frame ears of the feeders have broken off 90 percent of the feeders I have. I'm currently looking at Mannlake "cap and ladder" frame feeders, am thinking of giving them a try. Here is the catalog page for them...
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDe...68&idCategory=

[adrianthomp]

Thanks for the information Ray,

I'm thinking of using one of Betterbee top feeders, they seem to have the fix for my drowning bees with the way their feeders are built.

[okie-bee-man]

I'e lost hunreds of bees to the "Better-Bee top Feeders". The best I have found so far are the styrofoam top feeders that Better Bee sells.

[adrianthomp]

I'e lost hunreds of bees to the "Better-Bee top Feeders". The best I have found so far are the styrofoam top feeders that Better Bee sells.

That's the one I'm looking to buy.

[bowdenbeekeeper]

I started with the Brushy Mtn hive top feeder as well and within a week determined that unless I wanted all of my bees floating above the hive I had better make a change. Not sure if the "floats" got saturated but they did not work as advertised.

Reverted to an inverted pail feeder on the inner cover which has been much easier to maintain without dead bees decomposing in the syrup.

[adrianthomp]

Thanks, they are sending me 6 replacement floats. I will check the spacing before I put it on my hive. If that doesn't work I'll stick to entrance feeders or buy the ones from betterbee.

[11x]

if it dont fix the problem would you sell it to me? i have a projet in mind for it.

[adrianthomp]

Yes I would.

[kathygibson]

I. I'm currently looking at Mannlake "cap and ladder" frame feeders, am thinking of giving them a try. Here is the catalog page for them...
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDe...68&idCategory=

I just went out to check on a new hive where I had used a frame feeder with the cap and ladder. I had about 200 dead bees floating it...which happened in less than a week. Took it off immediately and replaced it with an entrance feeder (only other thing I had available). I had the cap on correctly..nice and snug...somehow the caps with ladders do not seem to prevent the bees from drowning. I am very disappointed in the frame feeder.

[adrianthomp]

Thanks for the info, I wonder what feeders people are having success with?

[margee14]

I have the Brushy Mountain Hive Top feeder also and don't like all the dead bees either. Has anyone tried the new Plastic 10 Frame Hive Top Feeder from Brushy Mountain?

I want to buy a new feeder for the fall. I am tired of dumping out the current feeders to get rid of dead bees.

[boknows honey bee's]

Try floating pop corn packing material sised to float freely so they have a surface to sit on while feeding or if they slip can grab on to one and save them selves

[bryansbeez]

If you have never tried a quail feeder try one. Set it right on top of the top bars. Keep the hole in the base on the lowest side so the syrup dosn't keep running out. Cover with a empty box,put the lid on. If it's cold,early spring,late fall,they will suck down a gallon of syrup in 24hrs,especially if the syrup is warm. I've used about every feeder there is and these are all i use to date. Very little drowning. Hope this may help.

[Ski]

I like the type of feeder in the picture below. The bees are screened off, very few bees drown and I now have some over 3 years old that are still working fine. These are sold by Orr bee supply. http://www.orrbeesupply.com/ There may be others that sell the same type of feeder, this is just one supplier.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...feeders002.jpg

[david logue]

Yes I was lucky enough to check mine sugar water was dripping on my bees and with in ten minutes I had at least ten bees dead.

[NewbeeNnc]

What we around here call the miller feeder, screened out with a wall so they can climb to the syrup and climb out. Also nice so you can take the top cover off without bees coming at you and then refill.

https://millerbeesupply.com/feeders-.../prod_340.html

[slickbrightspear]

miller feeders but with them I have to screen the inner cover or bees go in thru the outside and drown. I use plain old frame feeders inside the hive and break up a bunch of sticks that I find around the hives for floats try to get some long enough that they touch the bottom and will not slip all the way inside. also with frame feeders I always feed 2:1 or 3:1 as they seem not to drown as bad.