Who makes the best frame feeder?

[Charlie B]

I'm getting a little annoyed with bucket lid holes getting plugged up and thought I would try frames feeders.
Who makes a good one? How much drowning is there despite the floats? Anyone ever have a queen wander
over to the edge and fall in?

[okbees]

I have Motherload...and I have seen that no matter what brand you use, the clips don't stay in place..and you lose them...and the sides collapse. So, we put a piece of wood in the middle and secure with either staples or small wood screws. Picture is not one of ours but shows how we put in the block. We use wood strips inside for floats and don't have an issue of drowning. https://picasaweb.google.com/1118636...ionBoardFeeder

[Ignots]

I have used the Mann Lake Pro Feeders most of this year and have only ever found 1 bee dead in the ladder...I like them, the 1-1/2gal size is what I have.

[crofter]

Here is a link to a feeder we use. http://www.beemaidbeestore.com/browse.php?txtCatID=190

It fits very tightly inside a medium hive body. Screen fastens down with 2 screws. Drowning no problem until someone put on a notched cover!

[TWall]

I have only used the Motherlode but like them. With the cap and ladders they are $5. I like the Miller-type hive top feeder better. But, I am not going to buy or build them.

Tom

[adam@azapiaries]

I use Mann Lake's 2 gallon division board feeders without the cap and ladder system. I get a few dead bees in some hives but always figure that it is better to have a few drowned bees than a starved colony. With the two frame feeder, you can get a lot of syrup into a hive in a short time and that my friends, is how you prevent starvation in the Spring.

[ToddFiala]

Although it is not a frame feeder, I thought I would mention that my favorite feeder is the Rapid Feeder by The Bee Works. It goes over the inner cover hole like a pail feeder, but the bees climb up the center (it is shaped kind of like a cake pan) and crawl down a textured surface to the syrup level. My experience is that bees rarely drown in this feeder. Another thing that I really like about it is that you can check how much syrup is in it and fill it without being exposed to the bees and even more important, exposing the bees to cold air if it is cold outside. I feel this is especially helpful when feeding packages in spring. Why expose the brood to cold air in April? The center of the feeder has a clear plastic cup over it, so the bees can't get out when you fill it and the feeder has a clear lid that covers the top of the feeder.

[adamant]

I have used the Mann Lake Pro Feeders most of this year and have only ever found 1 bee dead in the ladder...I like them, the 1-1/2gal size is what I have.

if u had to buy them again ,would u have gotten the 2 gal. ones?

[Jim 134]

IMHO Motherlode With the cap and ladders

http://www.motherlodeproducts.com/index.html



BEE HAPPY Jim 134