Making pail feeders and frame rest protectors

[HannahKemara]

hello -

i am a new beekeeper getting two packages in a few weeks. i am using all mediums and they didn't come with frame rest protectors (walter kelley). i am trying to figure out the best method for making them (flashing?) or if i should order them straight away.

also, i am making pail feeders using a teeny drill bit and they don't leak but i have read they will with temperature changes. any tips for this?

thanks very much,

hannah in pittsburgh

[HONEYDEW]

the frame rest protectors will not be worth it if you half to pay shipping, if you are going to make your own the store bought ones are just two steps up from tinfoil nowhere as thick as flashing, but if there isn't a supplier nearby then use whatever you want..any closed system feeder will leak a little as temp. changes if this worries you use a miller type feeder or a frame feeder

[BeeCurious]

I installed the frame rest protectors on my very first boxes but the majority are without.

I find it's easier to clean the frame rests without them.

When you first invert your pail feeder do so away from the hive to prevent attracting robbers... there will be some leakage.

Afterwards, you'll be fine. If it becomes warm enough to change the pressure, it's warm enough that the bees can deal with a little extra syrup. I think you'll be fine.

[sqkcrk]

Frame rest protectors are not a necessary thing to have in your supers. I have thousands of supers and very few have them.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Small hive beetle protectors do not make the super last much longer. They are not worth the death of your colony. A good seal on the feeder will not leak syrup on your bees. There is a volume of air above the syrup that absorbs the minor expansion and contracton of most temperature changes when you should be feeding.

[alblancher]

Good timing on this question,

What size nail or drill bit should I use to perforate the jar tops for my feeders? The gentleman teaching the local bee classes drives a bunch of small nails through a piece of plywood and uses that to make feeders, puts the lid over the exposed points and taps with a rubber mallet. Forgot to ask him what size nail he used or for that matter if I drill the holes just how big should they be? Guess I am showing my laziness but I do appreciate the time you save me with your advise.

[Rube63]

1/16 drill bit

[WWW]

use the same nail that you assemble your frames with, the size is perfect.

[alblancher]

I'm using a 3/8 siding stapler to put the hives together. If I double up a piece of 3/4 and a piece of 1/2 inch they should protrude nicely. Need to see how they compare to a 1/16 drill hole.

Thanks for the tips

Al

[Mtn. Bee]

Hannah:
I am trying to convert to all frame rest protectors on my boxes, they are cheap, heavy duty and really easy to install. Also cover all those chewed up frame rest from years of hive tool use and help to break the frames loose from propolis glued rest.
I buy them at the nearby lumber store and they are used for drip lapping 4x8 sheets of siding above the lower sheet.
They are called Z-strips and are galvanized metal strips and come in different sizes. I use the 1/2" size which covers the rabbeted frame rest about right.
You will notice these are designed with a longer and shorter edge, I nail them on with the short edge up and long edge down.
They come in 10' lengths (???) and I cut them to the proper width of the inside of the box with a tin snips and nail them on. I really like how heavy duty they are compared to the cheap thin ones on the market for Beeks and also how you get extra coverage on the inside of the box below the rest as well.
Best of all, they are cheap and you get a lot of heavy duty rest locally without paying all that high priced shipping!
Best of Luck!
Mtn. Bee

[Michael Bush]

I ripped all mine out and threw them away...

[HannahKemara]

Thanks all for the input and advice.