One Gallon Bucket Feeder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video we'll show you how to build these one gallon bucket feeders step by step, what tools to use and talk about why we've switched to these type of feeders. These 1 gallon feeders work great! We've been very happy with them and have built these for Don The Fat Bee Man and he loves them too.
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Tool and Equipment Links:
FEEDER PLUGS-
www.naturesimag...
1 GAL BUCKET/LID
www.industrial...
www.industrial...
www.industrial...
HOLE SAW FOR BUCKET LID-
www.naturesimag...
www.amazon.com...
FORSTNER BIT FOR HIVE LID-
www.amazon.com...
FEEDER PLUG DRILL BITS-
COMING SOON
www.naturesimag...
16 GAUGE STAPLE-
www.menards.co...
18 GAUGE STAPLE-
www.menards.co...
Video and Editing by - Jake Burns
Music by - Greg Burns
We have plugs available now! Order These Plugs Here:www.naturesimagefarm.com/product/feeder-plugs/
I am interested in some tent caps
plugs timgross61@hotmail.com
Where do you order the buckets?
Excellent video! You're one of the VERY FEW that post ALL the information STEP BY STEP in your videos. Most ASSUME that we ALREADY KNOW certain bits so they SKIP steps. Well, we DON'T ALREADY KNOW, that's why we're watching an instructional video! Thanks for being such a GREAT TEACHER!!!!
Greg, here is a tip that makes life easier... Using an 18 gauge staple, run the tip through the flame of a torch and punch 3-4 holes very quickly each time you heat it. Takes seconds per cap. SO much faster than drilling or just poking through with pressure. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!
Thanks to share your experience, greetings from Argentina
Great straight up none rambling how to video, Will be using this method this fall Thanks, again great video
Thanks friend! ❤
Outstanding work bud thanks for the great info.
You bet
Great video! This video, along with Bob Binnie's bucket feeder video, helped save me a bunch of money.
You can also fill buckets with your sub pump in the back of your truck from the barrel. Just plumb outlet to water hose fittings. Power up pump with power inverter hooked to battery on truck.
Thanks Greg for the informative video. Would using more holes allow more bees to feed, why only one? I live in FL and 1:1 SW has gone bad for me before, especially if the jars are not "squeaky" clean. I'm concerned there would be black mold in buckets that were never washed out. Do you ever clean your buckets?
Just saw this!! Thank you for exposing how to make these so well
Great video! This confirms the route I want to take. Thanks Tim
Awesome! Thanks for watching.
I am glad I found you. Great info. I use 8 and 10 frame. I have a stupid question. How do I make sure the bucket is directly over the cut out opening in the lid. Probably a stupid question.
Thanks! I've been looking for these 1 gallon pails with lids for a decent price. Really appreciate it.
Instablaster.
Great info, thanks for sharing
How many holes do you make? What pattern, how close to the edge? Thank you.
Can you send these bucket feeder caps to England. (Been binge listening to your podcast). I have buckets in use but keeping removing lid to refill, so happy to find an answer. I also find bees gather around the lid.
Great vlog or whatever it’s called and the podcasts are 5 star.
excellent video. my question is what happened to the robbers bees stayed away?
Great video.
Are you still using this method?
Any problems with wind blowing off the buckets?
What happens when the bucket runs low or goes empty and simply blows away? You have no rock or brick on top of the buckets. If it blows away, suddenly you have a hole directly open on your hives which would be difficult to bees to defend. I've seen some people put another super over the bucket and a cover on that also.
Just curious.
I was wondering 🤔 the same
I’ve used bucket feeding for a while now and I can say that the bees do a pretty good job gluing them down with propolis. I have had several blow off in strong winds, so not 100% reliable. Hope this helps.
hello. What mixture is used in the sugar syrup to make it last this long and not go sour?
Nice video,I'm invested in hive top feeders but going to do some buckets this year. Thanks for video
Thanks for watching!
Great info. When you say 2 to 1 mixture. Is that sugar to water or water to sugar?
2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching pal!
Great information! Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us. Here in southwestern Oregon, we are in a horrid drought. The dearth is massive.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Greg. I think this is what I'll be switching to this year. Great idea.
Mountaineer Bees glad to help!
Just taking notes. Question if I did the buckets do you think the 1:1 would leak? Because in the spring I feed that to stimulate them.
Hey guys! Nope, 1:1 will work great. The beauty of these plugs is you adjust the flow and rate by the size and number of holes you drill in the plug.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Is one hole in the plug enough or would more be better?
You do a great job on your video, informative and to the point!
So, I just realized I found this amazing TH-cam channel and I hadn’t subscribed yet! 😱🤪🤷🏻😂❤️
Hey TIm! Thanks for joining us here!
Thank you for this video. I was looking for a solution just like this.
Herbert Jacobs awesome!
Brilliant idea! I am curious though does rain leak into hives with the feeder on? With all the rain we've been getting in the spring I can see some leaking but maybe I'm wrong.
Hey JC! Yeah I can see why you'd have that concern. Im sure your beeyard is as wet as ours is in the spring. I had the same concern when we started with the buckets but what Ive seen here is the bees propolise the buckets off fast and seal off. I also noticed that the even on small weak hives that don't propolise fast, the diameter of the bucket compared to the 50mm hole in the lid is keeping water out as well. Thanks for watching!
Was about to ask this as well! I'm happy the creator responded to you 😊
Wow impressive set up…! Thanks for sharing..😊🐝
I'm curious.. How to you keep the buckets from blowing off the top of the hives and exposing the colony? We have some windy nights and the weather man is not always right..
I wonder the same thing. Nobody ever mentions that part
Great, thanks. How fast they take the syrup with 1 hole, please?
DO you happen to have part #s for the 1 gallon bucket and lid?
Hi. Don't you make sugar syrup with hot water? How many °C is the water pump resistant to hot water?
10:23 when the bucket is on the top of hive....when its rain,does water go inside true the hole in hive,under the bucket?
I have never had a problem with water get in yet:)
I like that you can use the same plug to seal the hive up again. If the plug is on the hive will the bees propilize it up? Gives me the options of more frames in the hive and therefore more brood to be made. What is the coldest temps do you run these down to? Thanks Eric.... Lieber Honey 150 hives.
These plugs def give you a lot of options. Great lid enclosures. Rarely have I seen the bees propolis cause any issues as enclosures. We have fed a couple time this winter with day time temps of 50F. When it gets in the 30's at night we just flip the buckets up to turn the feed off. Good luck this year Eric!
That is a beautiful apiary ya have Greg... Thanks for the video
Thanks! Appreciate the support!
Hey I seen this is your most recent video, so I figured I’d ask my question here...I’m going to be butchering a hog in January and I like your smoking process, but can you make a video walking through the steps of curing the hams? I know it’s a bit of a hassle but it would help out a lot
Great video, Greg. I noticed you have a lot of hives in your yard. I hear mixed information about how many hives is “too much” for a given yard. E.g., some people in my region say that don’t put any more than 10 hives in a single yard. Have you seen a decrease in honey production on a per hive basis as you add more and more hives to your yard? Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I think with any livestock there certainly is a point where balance can be achieved with the stocking rate and stocking density. Running 200 nucs is certainly very different than 200 10 frame singles. We’re primarily focused on rearing queens and making bees so our context drives our approach. We run several yards like you see here in the video and the key for us is feeding. Keep them fed and life is good. They go hungry, the hives start robbing something fierce. We’re blessed to farm in an area here with floral abundance and variety and that really helps too. So you can certainly have too many in one area but what that number is is solely based on your context, scale and approach.
Do you have a video or playlist for feeding bees? Why? When? How to tell you need to? Recipes? Etc?
No but thats a great idea, thanks!
Great job, thank you!
What size drill press is that? Does it suit all your beekeeping needs?
How would you clean the inside of the bucket if it ever got moldy if the lid doesn’t come off?
A bottle brush and bleach water works great. You can also use a standard lid instead of the gasket lid which makes cleaning really easy.
How holes do you put in the tint plug?
I like 3-5 depending on the size the colonies I work with. I like using a 1/16" drill bit.
Any chance you can go into more detail on your sump pump setup? I am trying to model mine after yours and outside of the 3/4 pump at HF I’m just curious how you piped it in
Thank you for your videos. How are this working out for you? Is only one hole enough?
Do you have to sit something on top to keep them from blowing away in strong winds/storms?
We've had great luck with wind speeds upward of 60mph and they stay put. If you need to you could certainly weigh them down with a brick.
Can you tell me how many hole you put in the plug and is it possible to just put holes in the lid
I’ll put 1-3 holes depending on my feeding goals. That’s the beauty of the plugs, you can tailor your feeder flow rate easily without ruining a bucket lid with holes.
So you don't find that they drain due to heat and cool in spring and fall, or is that why you only go with the one hole. Thanks.
Hi Harold, I haven't had a problem yet but I pull them off once temps get down to 45F or so.
Wow! That seems easier than other feeders. Any advice on buying sugar? Do you ever add hive stimulant to the sugar water?
The buckets really are a game changer! Regular granulated sugar available at the grocery store works great. 2 parts sugar to 1 part water by volume works great for late summer/early fall feeding. Currently we’re feeding Prosweet in the buckets which is more like a 3:1. Fold use Honey Bee Healthy or other essential oils such as lemongrass, spearmint and tea tree oil as stimulants. Helps keep the syrup from fermenting but be cautious if using late summer as it can promote robbing.
do you only poke a single hole into the cap?
Single hole is great for very small splits but for most colonies I like 2-3 1/16” holes.
Feeding … I’ve been pouring a 4 lb bag of sugar into a gallon milk jug and filling with HOT water to melt. Am I over doing it? Suggestion?
Is there a problem with leaking when you punch more than one hole? The price is right for those plugs
Great tips. Especially the submersible pump
You'll have to watch out for flow rate on more than one hole. I used 2 holes on a quart jar and its great but with a gallon of feed, one hole seems best for me.
What do you do for drainage in your NUCS
Can there be several holes in the cap?
Sebastian Archer the beauty in using these plugs is that you can add as many or as few holes as you’d like. If you make a hole too big or make too many, you can seal them off with super glue or hot glue:)
How much do you make them up for I could use about 8?
Can you also have youtube on how to make sugar water maker tank?
If i make another mixer tank, ill be sure to make a how to video.
Sorry if already asked and answered, but why only one hole? Does it dispense enough for the bees?
When making my quart jar feeder lids I poke multiple holes. Do you do a single hole on your tint plugs?
Brian Jackson just a single hole works great!
@@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns Yep I'm on single only seems to be fine bees can't empty them as fast but they get enough.
Thanks for the video!! Great info!. How many pounds of sugar do you use per 50gal of syrup mix? 1:1 and 2:1 mixtures. Thanks!!
Hi Cory,
Admittedly my hillbilly math skills suffer from time to time. I mix 2:1 based on eyeballing volume. I mix in 55 gal drums and use the 3 rings on the barrels as guidelines for 1 part water, 2 parts sugar.
@@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns Thank You so much. I'm building one now. 😀😀
How do you clean the inside of the bucket or do you clean them?
Same question. How do you clean the buckets?
Where do you buy the inserts or plugs?
You can order plugs here:
www.naturesimagefarm.com/product/feeder-plugs/
What size nail would you suggest for 1:1 Sugar water? Thanks Great Video!
how many holes when feeding 2 to 1?
I like 3 holes 1/16” in diameter
Do you clean the bucket after use?
Every now an again we'll rinse them out or put a bunch in a 300 gal IBC tote to soak with soap/water.
Do you ever have problems with propolis plugging the hole?
Very rarely have anything plug the holes but I always carry a frame staple to run thru any holes that do.
Have you noticed slow feeding by only drilling 1 hole ? I've watched Bob's video on feeding and he drills multiple holes depending on how big the hive is .
The bigger the colony and the faster of a flow the more holes you’ll need. I drill 1-5 holes for my feeding needs. 1 hole is great for smaller splits whereas 3 are ideal for nucs.
What's the best way to wash out the bucket when the syrup sours and mold starts to grow like in the jar feeders? Any help on the fastest way is appreciated. Thanks
A bottle brush and a bleach water works great if youre using the gasket lids. If using the standard lid, you can just pull off to easily clean the bucket.
Where do you get the 50 gallon barrel with that removable lid?
Mary P. Cash I picked that up at an auction. Maybe check Facebook marketplace?
that's a 55 gallon rain barrel, if you're looking for one search rain barrel
What is the “ gas pump “ handle called, and where did you buy it please.
It’s a 1” diesel fuel nozzle. Similar to this:
www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gpi-auto-diesel-nozzle-1-in?cm_vc=-10005
Great system. How do you keep ants out of the barrel full of sugar water?
We’ve since moved to totes of Prosweet for feeding. However when we used a barrel mixer, there wasn’t any feed left. What residue reasoned was thoroughly cleaned up by the bees. No ants.
Great video Greg!! Looks like your wasting away to nothing...lol guess the Keto works! Keep up the good work & looking forward to more videos.
Hey there! Thanks for watching! Keto has literally been one of the biggest leverage points in physically being able to keep up with the growth in the bee yard this year.
Do you ship to Canada? Coz id like to order
Sure do, shoot us an email at natiresimagefarm@gmail.com
Do you just put 1 hole it there or more?
Jason Storm just the 1 hole works great.
Awesome vid! This really answers alot of questions I've had with regards to feeding. Thank you for sharing and keep your posts coming! #newsubscriber
Thanks for watching!
How many holes do you put in the plugs?
Jeff Milburn just one hole using the size described in the video.
@@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns do you put one hole because you don’t want it leaking too fast or are you trying to slow them down? I was wondering if one hole was going to be an issue if you want to get them fed fast for fall 2:1 for winter weight
Where do you get plugs
Bruce Hotaling you can order here: www.naturesimagefarm.com/product/feeder-plugs/
Where are you buying the pails at?
Sorry I see the link, thank you!
I really like the concept behind this (and not just for Nucs - for full size hives too). I have 2 questions for you:
1) Do you really find that 1 hole in the plug is enough? Most of the other designs I've seen use a screen (ie. 100 +/- holes).
2) I assume you put a weight on the buckets to keep the wind from blowing them off when the bucket begins to get empty. Right?
Also - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sugar water mixing system you have in that 55 gal barrel. Going to Harbor Frieght to buy that submersible pump tomorrow!
The one hole is perfect for small nucs and queen mating boxes. The beauty of these plugs is you can easily add more holes if you need more flow.
is there an update on these?? May 2021
are these lids getting just one hole
1-4 holes depending on how big the colony is and how fast I want to dispense.
Where do you get your plugs, lids, and buckets?? Thanks
naturesimagefarm.com for plugs
industrialcontainer.com for buckets
What are the specs of your submersible pump?
Hi Timothy, Its a 3/4 HP with 4400GPH.
www.harborfreight.com/34-HP-Submersible-Utility-Pump-Stainless-Steel-Construction-4400-GPH-63477.html
So glad I found you! I’m a Second year beekeeper- thanks for sharing knowledge! Do you use 5 or 8 frame hives year round?
Lisa Schwartz I’m a big fan of 5’s and 8’s and use them year round.
@@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns And what about when the hive gets bigger?You super the 5frames?2 supers or more?
Where can I find the buckets and plugs?
Hi there!
Plugs:
www.naturesimagefarm.com
Buckets/Lids: industrialcontainer.com
do you sale plugs for bucket
You bet!
www.naturesimagefarm.com/product/feeder-plugs/
How much do you sell, ready-made?
Most people recommend feeding 1:1 in the spring and 2:1 in the fall. Have you tried this with 1:1 and what was your experience?
I havent seen much difference myself but with the scarcity of bulk sugar, HFCS has been handy.
Do you still use this method or not for any reason? Thanks!
We are still using these bucket feeders and love them. In smaller colonies and mating mixes 1-2 holes has worked well. On larger colonies 3-4 holes works great. The beauty w these plugs is you can adapt the rate of feed to the size colony. The gasket lids are not necessary as the standard lids work great too and are easier to clean.
@@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns fantastic, thanks!
anyone ever done this with Homer buckets??
PRETTY COOL 😎 A guy could just change the plug for spring or fall bulk feeding add a couple extra holes
I'v got the manlake 3 gallon buckets with the caps that leak
Like a sieve waste of time money
YES!! The great thing about building your own equipment is your able to adapt and get many more uses out of it!
do you sale one gallon bucket feeder
We do, but as of right now they are only available for our package route customers on our bee delivery rout thru TN, KY, OH, PA and WV..
Make bee feeders
Why not just use the hole saw
I wish you just sold the buckets already made .
why not get the lids that can be removed mold build up in the bucket needs to be cleaned out or it will make the bees sick.
Why couldn’t you just make the small holes in the lid and not use the inserts?
The plugs make it very easy to refill the buckets without losing or ruining the lid seal by taking on/off. Also the plugs allow you to easily adapt the size and number of holes to accommodate different thickness and flow rate of feed by quickly and easily changing the plug. The plugs are also very handy as a lid closure in times you aren’t feeding. The plugs are very easy to clean the holes if they get gunked up as opposed to cleaning or adjusting the hole size or number of holes if only using a lid. A lid only would certainly work, however the plugs allow for complete control and offered adaptability.