[Southwings]

What are the benefits and drawbacks to a community feeder?

Thank you.

 

[78-79fordman]

The probley I have is feeding the Neighbors hives . The Benefit I see is it doesn't cause robbing . Could be wrong there but that's what I have seen the last couple days as I'm testing it out .

 

[Ian]

the foraging bees will tend to fight a bit when taking the syrup, and this will create the old forage bees to go hairless in some cases probably reducing their lifetime.. But old foraging bees are at the end of their life anyway, so I look at them as being expendable, just as the bees tends to...

 

[78-79fordman]

the foraging bees will tend to fight a bit when taking the syrup, and this will create the old forage bees to go hairless in some cases probably reducing their lifetime.. But old foraging bees are at the end of their life anyway, so I look at them as being expendable, just as the bees tends to...

Would it not be no more than a heavy flow . I mean that's what where manipulating right .

 

[Ian]

except they are all feasting at the same feeder, pawing eachother to get at the syrup. Foraging flowers, they are all dispersed over the country side.

 

[green2btree]

Expense - feeding other bees, and robbing if too close to existing hives.

JC

 

[Ian]

and robbing if too close to existing hives.

JC

I dont find robbing as issue, as long as the hives are strong as they should be to protect themselves within the yard. I set my feeders 20 feet from my hives within the same yard with zero issues. Robbing will happen regardless, on hives susceptible to robbing.

 

[sqkcrk]

The strong hives, which don't need the feed as much as the weak hives, will get most of the feed. Bees drown in community feeders. Weak hives won't get the feed they need. Neighborhood bees will feed from the same trough.

Quick and easy. Commercial beekeepers feed semi loads of hives that way. So there must be some benefit.

 

[78-79fordman]

except they are all feasting at the same feeder, pawing eachother to get at the syrup. Foraging flowers, they are all dispersed over the country side.

Ya that makes since .

 

[Ian]

The strong hives, which don't need the feed as much as the weak hives,

yes, its nice to feed uniform strength yards, just to manage this issue.
Cant beet the individual hive feeders, but open feeding gets feed out to the yards instantly (as long as the bees can fly)

 

[78-79fordman]

I have a 5 gallon feeder about 500 feet from my many yard as I have 15 hives Scattered across 20 acres . What I'm seeing is that all my hives are feeding plus 2 hives from the east 3/4 miles and. Possibly another number of unknow hives to the south . But the main number would say 95% are my bees . Have also noticed there working other stuff as bees are leaving my hives and going different directions. So I may not should be feeding . But a 5 gallon bucket has lasted 2 days where feeding 10 hives in hive feeders they are using a gallon a day . But notice robbing when feeding in the hive . None with the 5 gallon bucket .

 

[Ian]

do a scout around to see if you indeed have hives within a mile or two. If not, feed away! If so, be prepared to feed your neighbours hives... LOL

 

[78-79fordman]

do a scout around to see if you indeed have hives within a mile or two. If not, feed away! If so, be prepared to feed your neighbours hives... LOL

This right here ^ .. I know my other yard locations I wouldn't have any problems as my bees are the only ones around .

 

[Ian]

I find that the bees will ignore the syrup when the flows on