[WilliamsHoneyBees]

So I just made 4 nucs. I drilled a perfect hole for a mason jar and put hardware cloth on the bottom of the migratory lid. First problem I found was with a flat migratory lid on top it didn't allow enought bee space to collect on the bottom of the feeder. So I'll fix that when I make the next boxes by making them a little deeper and the frame rest a little deeper as well. My second problem that I need help with is the hardware cloth. I have seen where a lot of you even Michael Bush use the hardware cloth. My mason jar lids are canning lids and they kind of curve inward and they don't sit close enough to the hardware cloth for the bees to still be able to get to the holes. How do you all feed like this

 

[mothergoosemagic]

I use a similar set up. Take a piece of stock and cut some slices about 1/2 inch wide. Attach these to the underside edges of the migratory cover and you'll have your beespace. That way you can keep your boxes standard. I save all the trims when I cut my mediums down to width, and they seem to be about right.

My girls don't seem to have problems accessing the syrup thru the canning jar lid, but if you look at the bee catalogs, they offer a flat cap rather than the ring & insert. If you don't want to order some, see if your local grocery store carries quart jars of mayonnaise with metal lids. Most have plastic now and I haven't tried that to see if they would work as well.

 

[tonyp]

I'm doing the same thing but with 5 frame boxes, I bought some used boxes that already had the hardware cloth on them so I took them off and they're fine. Not sure if your lid will do this or not. My problem is I'm starting nuc outyards and have to keep filling up the quart feeders every other day. I seen some feeders on here that looked like they would hold at least a gallon of syrup but am having a hard time finding them locally.

 

[Hambone]

I just drill a 2 7/8" hole in the center of the lid and stick the jar in. Never used any cloth.

I too would like to find some larger jars that would fit the same size hole.

 

[mothergoosemagic]

Since you don't have to worry about the weight pressing down the wire, see if any local hardware stores sell the 1/2 gallon mason jars. Not many people try to can that size any more, but they are still available. One of our True Value's carries them; don't know about Ace. Never have seen them in Walmart.

 

[Beeslave]

If you use harware cloth you need to use a regular lid not the band and lid. You also need to make sure the lid top(now feeder bottom) is sitting on the hardware cloth. If it dosn't reach the hardware cloth the bees can't get the syrup.

 

[camero7]

I got some 1/2 gallon jars @ True Value. don't use hardware cloth and they work fine.

 

[beemandan]

put hardware cloth on the bottom of the migratory lid

What is the purpose of the hardware cloth? I have a number of migratory covers drilled for mason jars...and don't use any hardware cloth.

 

[Andrew Dewey]

Forgive me for hijacking this thread a bit, but a couple of questions:

Is the mason jar exposed to the elements, or is it contained in some kind of box that rests on the top of the nuc?

What do you do to cover the hole with when the time for feeding is over with? Just leave the jar in?

 

[theriverhawk]

Brushy Mt sells 1/2 gallon jars that mason lids fit...

 

[tonyp]

Andrew Dewey, yes the jar is exposed to the elements. Not a problem this time of year. I plan to switch to a solid board just before winter. When moving nucs to a new location I save the masonite cover that comes on a package of bees and tape it over the hole with blue painters tape, no problems yet.

 

[J'smob]

I just drill a 2 7/8" hole in the center of the lid and stick the jar in. Never used any cloth.

I too would like to find some larger jars that would fit the same size hole.

I have gotten all of my gallon jars from Delis and Bars. The mouths of the jars are larger, but the price is right. My family loves pickels so we buy those
60 oz Vlasic pickels and save the jars. They work great on Nuc's.

 

[Ross]

I just drill a 2" or so hole and set the jar over it, instead of in it. I don't have to worry about having beespace that way. On nucs I wouldn't worry about hardware cloth.