Wanted hive top feeder that wont drown bees!

[Brenda Seader]

Don't throw away your Brushy Mountain hive top feeders-I had the same problem until I got some plastic cross stitch canvas from Michael's Crafts for a couple of bucks, and cut it to fit the floats. Cut it so that it fits inside the end bars of the floats, right up against the wood strips. Works like a charm. I like these feeders because I can put a lot of syrup in them.

[hilreal]

I'm with Cleo. After trying every feeder on the market plus baggies, etc. a jar on top works better than anything else. Drill a 3 inch hole in either a nuc lid (pretty much all I feed these days) or use inner cover. You can easily see who needs food easy refill.

[squarepeg]

for those with metal covering their top covers and can't drill....

the quail feeders/chicken waterers have been what i found to cause the least drowning. i found that putting 3/8" wooden balls in the trough prevented the bees from getting submerged.

i put them inside an empty five frame nuc box on top of the ten frame box, and used an extra five frame migratory cover over the remaining frames.

[danno]

I have a doz of these that I modified with a full top screen. This keeps bee's from finding cracks between the cover and the feeder, slipping in and drowning. They hold more than enough feed
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yo...r-type-feeder/

[Creekside]

I also like the jar through the top. I use an adjustable hole saw so that they fit tight. I also cover the hole on the inside with 1/8" hardware cloth so you can change without bees pouring out the hole. Another feeder that I use is called a RAPID FEEDER. I purchase them from The Bee Works here in Ontario. They work really well but cost $7.50 each. I rarely find any dead bees in the rapid feeder.

[WesternWilson]

Large ziplock bags work surprisingly well. I used them by putting an empty shallow super on the top of the hive, with the top board between it and the next hive body. The bees had access through the ventilation hole.

The only problem with them is they cannot be refilled easily.

This inexpensive hive top feeder has a good design that results in few bees drowning:
http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/inde...products_id=14

[RickD]

I use a feeder made by a man near me...kind of like the Fat Man, but he makes his ladders out of wire completely...nice job. My hives eat 3 qts a day when they want to eat, and it takes one filling. Ants like the feeders as well, but that just seems to be part of the deal. Bees almost do not drown, and a great many can eat at the same time... here is his link
http://basprings.com/Equipment/feeder.asp. Good equipment, and you can replace the tins from Walmart every year or so for a buck.

[kilocharlie]

My best luck in high feed rate so far has been a 5-quart bucket with a tight fitting lid. Rows of #60 drill holes drilled to line up with the gaps in the frames (a row every 1 1/2 inch, holes 3/4 inch apart in the row) . It sits inverted on a piece of plywood with a hole cut out one inch smaller diameter than the lid. I set an empty deep over the setup, and a top. No bees in the bucket chamber, no rogue combs, great insulation.

I hope to find a clear setup, and use an observer hive box for the bucket chamber - look and see if they need more syrup without opening the hive.

For queen rearing, I feed patties, 5-quart buckets, Mann Lake frame feeders, Boardmans, and filled combs. Crowded, well-fed, queenless, and nothing to do but make Q.C.'s....