feeding rims

[jmgi]

I built some 2" high feed rims recently because I will be feeding pollen supplement patties shortly. I didn't get around to building enough of them though, and was thinking of just using an empty medium box instead, is there any reason I shouldn't use something that deep just to put on patties? Seems to me it would be ok, but we still will be having lots of cold weather yet, don't know if that would be a problem or not. John

[oblib]

Thats lots of space while it is still cold and begging for comb when it warms up.

[Grant]

The space with a medium super doesn't make that much difference, for now. Bees don't heat the space like human beings, they heat the cluster. Still, some heat will be lost and wasted, but I don't think I'd worry too much about that.

However, having done this procedure with sugar cakes, and with the old Mite Away II pads, yes, once any hint of a flow comes on when the weather warms up, they will build comb straight up from the top bars and then you'll have a mess.

My rims are 3/8" and I squish down the lid on top of the pollen sub patty without problems.

Grant
Jackson, MO https://www.createspace.com/4111886

[DC Bees]

What about putting the pollen subs on then some newspaper and then add the medium super to hold down the newspaper? You could make the newspaper thick enough so they can not chew through it right away.

[jmgi]

I wouldn't leave any empty boxes on any longer than necessary, I'm sure I could leave them on for a couple months right now without worrying about comb being drawn in them, which is long enough for me to feed pollen sub. John