IT is really good to see a US based beekeeper in protective gear. Hello and greetings from the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney Australia. I like the way you handle bees, nice and gentle and thoughtful. We are going into winter now (May 1st 2020 ) I have different types of feeders. I have some similar to the one you prefer also frame feeders ( not a fan of those as they drown a lot of bees) and a home made one that I'm about to trial. It is very easy to make. I will send you a pic if you wish. All the best, you must be busy now as you are now entering Spring. We are now entering Winter
I am a beginner beekeeper in Utah: I continue feeding with sugar 2:1 or 1:1 water the whole winter because bees are indoors around 60-70F, and they go outside through a clear tube in the daytime when it is sunny or warm enough to let them do that. Should I continue feeding with sugar water, or would candies/patties be better? Because of freezing outdoors , 99% of the bees are freezing, and not returning to the hive. So, I am picking up hundreds of bees from the snow, and keeping them indoors inside of a container. After a short period of time, I see 80-90% of frozen bees recovering and moving around. At that point, I put them back in the hive. Is that correct? One opinion is that old or sick bees are going out to die anyway, but most of them seem like young bees. Should I continue collecting them? Or do you think they might not be returning because they are intentionally going out to die?
That first feeder is great for established colonies. Mannlake sells them. they hold a pile of syrup. The issue with the hive top feeders is cold weather with new colonies or packages. They can't get to it in the cold spring. I'll use jars directly over the inner cover that is directly over the cluster. But nice description. I do agree with you about the feeder you had on the roof. I've tried those and only keep them around for bee presentations. Good luck with your future beekeeping
Thank you for sharing. I was wondering where to put the inner cover, if it is used at all, so it is great that you covered the fact that it is not needed with the feeder setup. Much appreciated!
Hi There, you don't use the inner cover while feeding sugar syrup with this feeder. I could allow yellow jackets or other bees to rob the syrup. Not a fun sight to watch, believe me. Make sure the screening is tight against the plastic pan, else bees can get into the syrup and drown.
Lovelely video Eric,Here in the uk I use a home made super size frame with mesh across the bottom 5 mm gauge gauze. Then I fill it with a solid sugar mix,a real easy way to feed. In each corner of the frame I use. Block of 2x4 wood to make a space,then fill with the sugar mix and smooth it out. The bees then have 4 entry points into the feeder. On top of that goes the same style of box with wood shavings. On top of that is the inner cover and roof. I hope I've made it easy to understand.
I suggest you take your ring off for safety :) If you get stung there it's not going to be good. Unless you're immune to venom by now. Great video btw!
Used to wear rings. Then one day I was going down the stairs and got hung by my finger. There was an exposed 16 penny nail head out just enough to hang a ring on. Had to get lifted off. So embarrassing. She quit wearing hers too. I'm a carpenter and she does hospital maintenance. Like we need to advertise our marital status at work. Lol
I top off the boxes after it gets cold here and syrup feeding will not work with mountain camp sugar method. Basically it is a 2 or 3 inch shim, news paper and a mountain of granulated sugar(3 to 5 pounds). spray down with a little water mist to form a crust. this sugar will be their last resort feed in-case they run out of honey. if they need it they will chew though the newspaper and eat the sugar from below. also the dry sugar also helps absorb moisture and will help keep the bees dry. if it is left over in spring just make syrup out of it and move on.
I just got through infestation of small hive beetles & this top feeder concerns me. I bought the top feeders and I’m afraid to use them because I have small hive beetles and yellow jackets I Just got this under control suggestions??????? In one of my hives I have lost a queen due to my infestation and trying to remove it all So now I have bought a queen cell and hopefully it works Please tell me your thoughts 🐝
Hi,Im a beginner and your bee feeder looks great,but,the link you listed isn't coming up...you may need to take off everything after the .com to get to the site ...I then got through to the supplier cheers
Bee keeping in Brooklyn, reminds me of a friend who raised 40 chickens on a flat roof in San Francisco. You mentioned doing a hive stand video, oh yes please do. I would love to hear you rationally explaine your hardware cloth below the hive. Thanks N.K.
It’s a screened bottom board. Allows mites that fall off a bee to drop out of the hive, and provides air I close it up in cool weather and winter. Thx!
hey Eric!I also use hive top feeders, but the problem with them as they come from mann lake is that a lot of bees drown because they can get through beside the screen. What I did to solve the problem is melt some wax at the edges of the screen so they can no longer get through, this works well. this type of feeder feeds the bee's very fast, in my hives they go through at least a gallon a day unless they have enough stores.stumpy
Had that problem years ago along with rusting screens. It was the early years of this feeder. I'm considering a few of these this year so I don't have to feed as often. Four gallons works fast for me and my time is limited especially for feeding. Before using the feeder for the first time how about using a waterproof caulking to seal the screen to the wall and spot it on the bottom so the bees can't push the screening forward? Or place straight pieces of metal hangers on the bottom of the feeder between the screen and the wall so the bees can't push the screen forward? Just some problem solving thoughts.
Yes there are better top feeder we have a 1/4 inch thick plywood with a 4 inch hole in the center cover be a screen and I put a jar over the screen for fall . U can find the caps at the bee stores they have the jars to
I would like to see the openings for the feeder on the outside edges of the feeder. This way I can use this feeder on my double nucs. There really isn't a very good feeder out there (except home made) that accommodate the double nuc or side by side nuc (four frame)
To feed bees quickly use a plain shim 1.5 or 2 inches tall. You can put pollen and syrup right on top of the frames. Use a 1 gallon freezer bag. Fill it about 3 quarts worth. Lay it on the frames after you zip it up good. Slice short slits in the center. Just the top layer of baggie. Surface tension holds syrup in. Bees suck it down fast especially if it is warm syrup. You can feed pollen patties in the same shim. You can fit two gallon bags on a ten frame hive and still have room for pollen patty. The syrup is gone in two days or less on a strong colony. I've been rethinking my fall feeding. I tend to let the bees have the fall honey which...I'm finding that sugar syrup is better. The year I had almost all my hives survive winter was due to feeding sugar syrup. I'm strongly considering fall feeding again. I stopped so that I could tell customers that I never feed sugar to my bees.
I see wax moth damage on the inside of the super at 8:22. How did you get rid of them. I just had one 2 super dead colony I (stupidly) ignored for two weeks and had a real mess. I tossed the frames and scorched the super, bottom board, inner cover, and cover. I'll leave it out (with no frames) over winter for good measure.
this was an old super that i use for just holding in the feeder. it was from a dead hive from few years ago. now i freeze all my frames and store them in an old fridge i have.
Your welcome,using the box and the semi dry sugar,no drowning bees. Also another bonus is the feeder will act as partial insulation for the rest of the hive trapping moisture :)
i use the dry sugar on top of a piece of newspaper, and it takes care of the condensation/moisture issue in my hives, here is a video I made about it: th-cam.com/video/ao0gpORl-Ak/w-d-xo.html
thks for this series eric. we have our first nuc ordered for the spring and alot of the seasonal info you have provided will be applicable to our location here in nova scotia .
great, be read to feed them sugar syrup from day one. don't expect a honey harvest the first year. a few bees managed to get around the screen on this feeder, have to figure out if i have the screen in correctly. thx!
saw another series that used a similar 2 part large top feeder without the screening , instead they just laid loose straw down on / in the syrup. the series is produced by the university of guelph and is available either at www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/videos.shtml and or on youtube and one of the clips is called Feeding Bees & Overwintering it is the clip that has the feeder straw info.if you don't cross reference other sites , will understand if this gets deleted. all the best and again thks ... will keep an eye out for more clips
great stuff, looks all very nice. I am just browsing to see good methods, i like the idea of using natural oils, what oils are you adding and what is the main purpose of this.... if you could reply i would be greatful. cheer from dublin ireland...
+Eddie Lloyd I use the commercial mix from Mann Lake in the US. It's much easier than trying to mix it yourself. Basically it's food grade lemongrass and spearmint I believe.
HI - Thanks for the videos. I am a new beekeeper. I have a top feeder like this one, but the bee class instructors suggest that I should use a jar feeder for now because it's still cold at night (Connecticut). I have the jar feeder on but it seems like it is not being consumed at all (in 24 hours, it's virtually the same level). I have it over the inner cover and sitting on some shims. Do you think this low level of consumption is normal? thank you.
did you buy the jar feeder or make it? mbe the holes in the cap aren't big enough. not sure why the teacher says not to use this tray feeder, I am , and i'm in NW CT.
I added essential oils (spearmint, wintergreen, tea tree oil to treat for varroa) to my feeder and the bees don't seem to consume as much? You mentioned i could cause a frenzy?
the oils have to be in very small amounts, and sometimes will invite robbing. i would suggest buying a pre-mixed essential oil mix like Pro Health by Mann Lake. In my opinion, tea tree oil does not deter mites.
Too expensive. I've tried it and found no difference in my colony health or winter survival. I keep a 90 to 95 % survival of my 38 colonies each year. The trick is varroa control and keeping away from direct chemical spraying (I'm on farms).
it depends on where you live, usually after the last nectar flow in your area. try to find your local beekeeping assoc and join, they have lots of great localized info and maybe offer mentoring or classes. thx!
Hello sir, I would like to know why you have several hive boxes on top of each other while most people put a hive down and a lid on top In which hive there is the queen and and there is a grid between the hive thank you explained to me France
This video was a couple years ago, are you still using that feeder with the metal cloth screen? Also, would it be better to add carb parties after it is too cold for syrup?
Entertaining video man and cool shot of the Statue of Liberty? I'm out in the woods in Darlington county and you're doing the same thing on a rooftop, that shot put's it in perspective.
Great video. I think the feeder is from Mann lake. I will get one as well. Do you have a video on how to treat mites? yes it would be nice to see how you built your hive stand.
Those are nice if you don't have to buy very many of them. I also seal along the edge where the wire meets the plastic. I have had bees push through and get trapped.
Had the same problem. I've found these work well but the screen rusted out when I purchased them years ago. I've gone with the top feeders with the floats for the bees to stand on. Minimal drowning, but an issue when putting more feed in the feeder.
I just took my Mann Lake hive top feeders off. I was using them for spring feeding. The pro is that you don't have to refill that often. The cons for my area (Eastern Kansas) are 1) They are bulky and heavy. 2) Ants and hive beetles leak in and drown. 3) They cause mold on the top of the hive cover. 4) They hold a lot of heat and are slow to cool when the sun goes down. 5) 400 bees can use it at once and I had problems with the bees plugging the entire brood next with sugar water. I think they will be better in the yard for fall feeding.
Bear? 30-mile solar fence. 13K volts. Straps are a pain, use a brick. Update: Saw your bear fence. I recommend 3-4 strands with wood or t-posts. Tried your setup and used plastic posts. Didn't work. I have 7' t-posts (5' showing) and 4 strands of wire. Has worked for years... so far, with 350lb E. Tennessee black bear.
I was just wondering if you had a small hive beetle issue because their larvae has to go down into the ground and these last hives are on the roof. Good idea.
I like your video. Try this instead. I use a chicken waterer that's a 5 gallon bucket that sits in a round tray and the top of the bucket has a lid. I fill the tray with rocks so they don't drown. set it up outside your hive and you wont have to open your hive.
last fall i did notice some bees had gotten around the screening into the feeder bays, have to see if i put the screen in correctly. thanks for the note!
many Cities have a huge diversity of flowers. We are right next to a cemetery that is half the size of Central Park, so its a great place for bees. thx!
i miss my bees. Darn bear got them this year and really messed everything up. 2 new hives coming this spring. Check out my video on it. I'm gonna check out that feeder next year. i have been using the jar type. Cheers.
Hello sir, I would like to know why you have several hive boxes on top of each other while most people put a hive down and a lid on top In which hive there is the queen and and there is a grid between the hive thank you explained to me France
Great video down to earth, straight forward not a bunch of endless talking. Thank you for staying to the point.
IT is really good to see a US based beekeeper in protective gear. Hello and greetings from the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney Australia. I like the way you handle bees, nice and gentle and thoughtful. We are going into winter now (May 1st 2020 ) I have different types of feeders. I have some similar to the one you prefer also frame feeders ( not a fan of those as they drown a lot of bees) and a home made one that I'm about to trial. It is very easy to make. I will send you a pic if you wish. All the best, you must be busy now as you are now entering Spring. We are now entering Winter
Links to feeder and the essential oil you are now using, not working, can you give an updated link, Please.
Respect from Uzbekistan!!!
I am a beginner beekeeper in Utah: I continue feeding with sugar 2:1 or 1:1 water the whole winter because bees are indoors around 60-70F, and they go outside through a clear tube in the daytime when it is sunny or warm enough to let them do that. Should I continue feeding with sugar water, or would candies/patties be better?
Because of freezing outdoors , 99% of the bees are freezing, and not returning to the hive. So, I am picking up hundreds of bees from the snow, and keeping them indoors inside of a container. After a short period of time, I see 80-90% of frozen bees recovering and moving around. At that point, I put them back in the hive. Is that correct? One opinion is that old or sick bees are going out to die anyway, but most of them seem like young bees. Should I continue collecting them? Or do you think they might not be returning because they are intentionally going out to die?
That first feeder is great for established colonies. Mannlake sells them. they hold a pile of syrup. The issue with the hive top feeders is cold weather with new colonies or packages. They can't get to it in the cold spring. I'll use jars directly over the inner cover that is directly over the cluster.
But nice description. I do agree with you about the feeder you had on the roof. I've tried those and only keep them around for bee presentations.
Good luck with your future beekeeping
Thank you for sharing. I was wondering where to put the inner cover, if it is used at all, so it is great that you covered the fact that it is not needed with the feeder setup. Much appreciated!
Hi There, you don't use the inner cover while feeding sugar syrup with this feeder. I could allow yellow jackets or other bees to rob the syrup. Not a fun sight to watch, believe me. Make sure the screening is tight against the plastic pan, else bees can get into the syrup and drown.
Excellent advice. Thank you kindly.
+Berny Hi consider joining your local beekeepers association, they are a great source of info. Thx!
Hello, the purple color at the top cover is humidity for bee breathing so you should put more holes to air circulation.
Lovelely video Eric,Here in the uk I use a home made super size frame with mesh across the bottom 5 mm gauge gauze.
Then I fill it with a solid sugar mix,a real easy way to feed.
In each corner of the frame I use. Block of 2x4 wood to make a space,then fill with the sugar mix and smooth it out.
The bees then have 4 entry points into the feeder.
On top of that goes the same style of box with wood shavings.
On top of that is the inner cover and roof.
I hope I've made it easy to understand.
great idea, i have seen some photos of similar methods. i keep trying to find the best ways to do things, thanks for sharing!
I suggest you take your ring off for safety :) If you get stung there it's not going to be good. Unless you're immune to venom by now. Great video btw!
Used to wear rings. Then one day I was going down the stairs and got hung by my finger. There was an exposed 16 penny nail head out just enough to hang a ring on.
Had to get lifted off. So embarrassing. She quit wearing hers too. I'm a carpenter and she does hospital maintenance. Like we need to advertise our marital status at work. Lol
on the top hive feeder, does the screen separate the syrup from the bees or does the syrup flow thru the screen in the same compartment as the bees?
I top off the boxes after it gets cold here and syrup feeding will not work with mountain camp sugar method. Basically it is a 2 or 3 inch shim, news paper and a mountain of granulated sugar(3 to 5 pounds). spray down with a little water mist to form a crust. this sugar will be their last resort feed in-case they run out of honey. if they need it they will chew though the newspaper and eat the sugar from below. also the dry sugar also helps absorb moisture and will help keep the bees dry. if it is left over in spring just make syrup out of it and move on.
Yes Robert, I agree. After the fall feeding, we top with dry sugar. here is a video i made, thx! th-cam.com/video/ao0gpORl-Ak/w-d-xo.html
Robert Stwalley
I just got through infestation of small hive beetles & this top feeder concerns me. I bought the top feeders and I’m afraid to use them because I have small hive beetles and yellow jackets I Just got this under control suggestions???????
In one of my hives I have lost a queen due to my infestation and trying to remove it all
So now I have bought a queen cell and hopefully it works
Please tell me your thoughts 🐝
How do you keep the center walk up from filling up with comb?
Hi,Im a beginner and your bee feeder looks great,but,the link you listed isn't coming up...you may need to take off everything after the .com to get to the site ...I then got through to the supplier cheers
We made bee feeders for our bee yard with plastic containers, It's cheap, serves the purpose, easy to make and use.
Bee keeping in Brooklyn, reminds me of a friend who raised 40 chickens on a flat roof in San Francisco. You mentioned doing a hive stand video, oh yes please do. I would love to hear you rationally explaine your hardware cloth below the hive.
Thanks N.K.
It’s a screened bottom board. Allows mites that fall off a bee to drop out of the hive, and provides air I close it up in cool weather and winter. Thx!
@@gardenfork i
hey Eric!I also use hive top feeders, but the problem with them as they come from mann lake is that a lot of bees drown because they can get through beside the screen. What I did to solve the problem is melt some wax at the edges of the screen so they can no longer get through, this works well. this type of feeder feeds the bee's very fast, in my hives they go through at least a gallon a day unless they have enough stores.stumpy
i think they may have fixed that issue, because the screens i got were quite tight. we'll see. thx!
Had that problem years ago along with rusting screens. It was the early years of this feeder.
I'm considering a few of these this year so I don't have to feed as often. Four gallons works fast for me and my time is limited especially for feeding.
Before using the feeder for the first time how about using a waterproof caulking to seal the screen to the wall and spot it on the bottom so the bees can't push the screening forward? Or place straight pieces of metal hangers on the bottom of the feeder between the screen and the wall so the bees can't push the screen forward? Just some problem solving thoughts.
Yes there are better top feeder we have a 1/4 inch thick plywood with a 4 inch hole in the center cover be a screen and I put a jar over the screen for fall . U can find the caps at the bee stores they have the jars to
I’m in Virginia
Is it cool that I use the top feeder with sugar & h2o in the summer ?
I would like to see the openings for the feeder on the outside edges of the feeder. This way I can use this feeder on my double nucs. There really isn't a very good feeder out there (except home made) that accommodate the double nuc or side by side nuc (four frame)
To feed bees quickly use a plain shim 1.5 or 2 inches tall.
You can put pollen and syrup right on top of the frames. Use a 1 gallon freezer bag. Fill it about 3 quarts worth. Lay it on the frames after you zip it up good. Slice short slits in the center. Just the top layer of baggie. Surface tension holds syrup in.
Bees suck it down fast especially if it is warm syrup. You can feed pollen patties in the same shim.
You can fit two gallon bags on a ten frame hive and still have room for pollen patty. The syrup is gone in two days or less on a strong colony.
I've been rethinking my fall feeding. I tend to let the bees have the fall honey which...I'm finding that sugar syrup is better. The year I had almost all my hives survive winter was due to feeding sugar syrup. I'm strongly considering fall feeding again.
I stopped so that I could tell customers that I never feed sugar to my bees.
I see wax moth damage on the inside of the super at 8:22. How did you get rid of them. I just had one 2 super dead colony I (stupidly) ignored for two weeks and had a real mess. I tossed the frames and scorched the super, bottom board, inner cover, and cover. I'll leave it out (with no frames) over winter for good measure.
this was an old super that i use for just holding in the feeder. it was from a dead hive from few years ago. now i freeze all my frames and store them in an old fridge i have.
Clean Slate Farm i
What is the name of the feeder or the company that sells them? Where can I find them?
how do you go about getting the hives on roof tops . Rob.
Your welcome,using the box and the semi dry sugar,no drowning bees.
Also another bonus is the feeder will act as partial insulation for the rest of the hive trapping moisture :)
i use the dry sugar on top of a piece of newspaper, and it takes care of the condensation/moisture issue in my hives, here is a video I made about it: th-cam.com/video/ao0gpORl-Ak/w-d-xo.html
Great video Eric. I enjoy following your beekeeping journey. Wishing your hives best of luck over the winter. Hope you have a good day
thx Tim!
thks for this series eric. we have our first nuc ordered for the spring and alot of the seasonal info you have provided will be applicable to our location here in nova scotia .
great, be read to feed them sugar syrup from day one. don't expect a honey harvest the first year. a few bees managed to get around the screen on this feeder, have to figure out if i have the screen in correctly. thx!
saw another series that used a similar 2 part large top feeder without the screening , instead they just laid loose straw down on / in the syrup. the series is produced by the university of guelph and is available either at www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/videos.shtml and or on youtube and one of the clips is called Feeding Bees & Overwintering it is the clip that has the feeder straw info.if you don't cross reference other sites , will understand if this gets deleted. all the best and again thks ... will keep an eye out for more clips
had not heard of using straw for that, thx. sugar feeding is hard, as the bees get stuck in it no matter what one does, it seems. thx!
great stuff, looks all very nice. I am just browsing to see good methods, i like the idea of using natural oils, what oils are you adding and what is the main purpose of this.... if you could reply i would be greatful. cheer from dublin ireland...
+Eddie Lloyd I use the commercial mix from Mann Lake in the US. It's much easier than trying to mix it yourself. Basically it's food grade lemongrass and spearmint I believe.
HI - Thanks for the videos. I am a new beekeeper. I have a top feeder like this one, but the bee class instructors suggest that I should use a jar feeder for now because it's still cold at night (Connecticut). I have the jar feeder on but it seems like it is not being consumed at all (in 24 hours, it's virtually the same level). I have it over the inner cover and sitting on some shims. Do you think this low level of consumption is normal? thank you.
did you buy the jar feeder or make it? mbe the holes in the cap aren't big enough. not sure why the teacher says not to use this tray feeder, I am , and i'm in NW CT.
and sometimes bees just don't touch the syrup for a while. mine are pulling in pollen so seem to be ignoring the sugar feeder.
I added essential oils (spearmint, wintergreen, tea tree oil to treat for varroa) to my feeder and the bees don't seem to consume as much? You mentioned i could cause a frenzy?
the oils have to be in very small amounts, and sometimes will invite robbing. i would suggest buying a pre-mixed essential oil mix like Pro Health by Mann Lake. In my opinion, tea tree oil does not deter mites.
Too expensive. I've tried it and found no difference in my colony health or winter survival. I keep a 90 to 95 % survival of my 38 colonies each year. The trick is varroa control and keeping away from direct chemical spraying (I'm on farms).
I didn't hear what month you put the feeder on and when do you take them off? Thanks. I love all your videos. great stuff.
it depends on where you live, usually after the last nectar flow in your area. try to find your local beekeeping assoc and join, they have lots of great localized info and maybe offer mentoring or classes. thx!
Hello sir,
I would like to know why you have several hive boxes on top of each other while most people put a hive down and a lid on top
In which hive there is the queen and and there is a grid between the hive thank you explained to me France
This video was a couple years ago, are you still using that feeder with the metal cloth screen?
Also, would it be better to add carb parties after it is too cold for syrup?
Entertaining video man and cool shot of the Statue of Liberty? I'm out in the woods in Darlington county and you're doing the same thing on a rooftop, that shot put's it in perspective.
pretty cool! good to hear from you, thx!
Very cool.!
Are you allowed to have bees on a residential area in Brooklyn? Do neighbors ever complaint about the bees??
Cheers.
Alex.
bees are now legal in NYC. most people do not complain, because most bee hives are kept on roofs. thx!
Thank you for your educational video! Could you please tell us where we can purchase a large black feeder like yours?
Mann Lake.
What is the spacer for above your bottom board it looks to be 1 1/2 inches about thx
its called a slatted rack. supposed to help with swarming and cold. thx!
Hey my friend can you please tell me where you buy the plastic tray from and How much
watch the video and it will tell you how to get the info.
This useful tool is cool,can i have sectional view?,i want to learn how to make sugar server as you did.
Is the syrup just too viscous to drip down into the hive?
it sits in a tray above the hive, its not good to have it dripping into the hive. wet bee = dead bees.
Nice video awesome feeder Thanks for all the info
Great video. I think the feeder is from Mann lake. I will get one as well. Do you have a video on how to treat mites? yes it would be nice to see how you built your hive stand.
So you use insulation on all the hive.
Yes, in the Northern states. Thx!
lemme know I am curious if they did fix it, mine looked tight also but they still got through
some get through, but much fewer than other feeders. thx
Good video. I find that type of feeder gives space for hive beetles. Just my experience.
Do you have less of a hive beetle problem in Brooklyn than in a wooded location?
there are a few hive beetles in brooklyn, not many upstate because it gets so cold there. thx!
Thanks for answering my question. I don't have bees, but find them fascinating. I will keep watching.
Those are nice if you don't have to buy very many of them. I also seal along the edge where the wire meets the plastic. I have had bees push through and get trapped.
Had the same problem.
I've found these work well but the screen rusted out when I purchased them years ago.
I've gone with the top feeders with the floats for the bees to stand on. Minimal drowning, but an issue when putting more feed in the feeder.
I just took my Mann Lake hive top feeders off. I was using them for spring feeding. The pro is that you don't have to refill that often. The cons for my area (Eastern Kansas) are 1) They are bulky and heavy. 2) Ants and hive beetles leak in and drown. 3) They cause mold on the top of the hive cover. 4) They hold a lot of heat and are slow to cool when the sun goes down. 5) 400 bees can use it at once and I had problems with the bees plugging the entire brood next with sugar water. I think they will be better in the yard for fall feeding.
Thanks for your useful tips, happy bee keeping :-)
when do you exactly start feeding in the Fall?
I start feeding in the very early fall. I would ask a local beekeeper, check with your area bee club, they will know best.
Bear? 30-mile solar fence. 13K volts. Straps are a pain, use a brick.
Update: Saw your bear fence. I recommend 3-4 strands with wood or t-posts. Tried your setup and used plastic posts. Didn't work. I have 7' t-posts (5' showing) and 4 strands of wire. Has worked for years... so far, with 350lb E. Tennessee black bear.
The straps have thwarted the bear at times. Sometimes not.
Bears simply crushed by supers when strapped. I have to use an solar-powered electric fence around my hives, which has been 100 percent effective.
Great video! Do you live in Bay Ridge?
Do you have a beetle problem? 2 stories up from the ground.
No I have a ruptured disc in my back. This makes it easier to work the hive.
I was just wondering if you had a small hive beetle issue because their larvae has to go down into the ground and these last hives are on the roof. Good idea.
Sorry I misunderstood, no hive beetle issues for me in Brooklyn or upstate. Thx!
I use a chicken waterer. I put a nylon rope in part that holds the sugar syrup so they can b land on it and don't drown.
I like your video. Try this instead. I use a chicken waterer that's a 5 gallon bucket that sits in a round tray and the top of the bucket has a lid. I fill the tray with rocks so they don't drown. set it up outside your hive and you wont have to open your hive.
A good kind of brush is a turkey feather
thanks for the info......i checked out Mann lake ltd and it turns out they have a location in Wilkes-Barre, PA...not too far from me
yes, they ship very quickly to my house.
i love my mannlake top feeder !
M & J Habitat how do ya stop them from building burr comb in all that bee space?
@@scottpierson7495 never been a problem
Making it look easy!
feeding bees is the easy part. requeening is the hard part.
Very interesting Eric. Hello from Ireland. 😊
Hello!
Wonderful video, thank you for posting.
last fall i did notice some bees had gotten around the screening into the feeder bays, have to see if i put the screen in correctly. thanks for the note!
Do ants get into hives much?
yes, ants can be a problem, as they love sugar. the bees usually keep the ants out for the most part, thankfully.
Exceptional video.. thanks very much sir
good video ; piano a good touch
From the looks of your inner cover,
You have a serious moisture problem.
I would maybe use a quilt box.
And level the hives.
does anyone know where i can get a queen in the uk?
look up your local beekeeping club, they can help.
I used bees wax because it was easy, available and also I knew it would not harm the bee's
To stop bees droning in hive top round feeder. Is to cut the top of an old sock and put lt I round the part where the bees go down to feed!!
The bees here in SW, Florida are almost black.
Thanks for your sharing sir
Thanks for education and sher idea success
wow bees in new york. amazing.
many Cities have a huge diversity of flowers. We are right next to a cemetery that is half the size of Central Park, so its a great place for bees. thx!
Kudos to you for not using a smoker! I don't even own one.
put a stick in each side of course mine are old but it came with some!!!
good to hear!
i miss my bees. Darn bear got them this year and really messed everything up. 2 new hives coming this spring. Check out my video on it.
I'm gonna check out that feeder next year. i have been using the jar type.
Cheers.
Great video
You should maybe just lay the top in front, they hate that bee brush
yeah, i've learned that. thx!
I learned the hard way myself,lol
U tilted the wrong way if u go th other way the water will run out
🇹🇷👍👍
yes i like to tend to my bees it's fun for me and yes I got stung at times win I don't war my her lol its OK till it's my face lol
bee stings are good for you
You’re going to learn until you retire
Love dadantbeesupply top feeder
P
Hello sir,
I would like to know why you have several hive boxes on top of each other while most people put a hive down and a lid on top
In which hive there is the queen and and there is a grid between the hive thank you explained to me France