You can make your own bee feeder with just a few supplies. To start, fill a jar with sugar water. Cover it with a lid. You can also place rocks inside it for a stand for the bees. This will attract more bees and keep them occupied for longer.
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Using a jar as a bee feeder
One of the most popular beekeeping methods is using a jar as a bee feeding container. You can make a feeder out of multiple quart jars. The jars should be elevated by using two small sticks of wood. The elevated position keeps the jars above the inner cover of the hive, which is less disruptive to the colony. Alternatively, you can make a special two-jar feeder holder.
Using a jar as a feeder is a convenient way to feed your bees. Bees will come to the jar when they are hungry, and you can easily fill it with sugar water and place it near the entrance of the hive. However, you should avoid using this method if you are using a medication because sunlight will weaken the medication. Another disadvantage of this method is that it is not very large, so you need to fill it with sugar water on a regular basis.
Using a candy board as a bee feeder
When using a candy board as a bee feed, be sure it is very hard because the sugary candy will fall into the hives. Also, make sure the candy board is centered on the frame. To keep the candy from falling into the frames, you should use wood strips that are about 1/4 inch thick.
Depending on the style of your candy board, you will either need an inner cover or not. A candy board that sits directly on the topmost frame of a hive does not require an inner cover.
Using a division board as a bee feeder
Using a division board as a feeder is a simple way to provide sugar syrup to your bees. However, it must be kept in mind that the sugar syrup will not be available during cold weather. Therefore, feeding the bees should only be considered a temporary solution. If they can find more varied and rich foraging sources within a reasonable distance from the feeder, they will eventually leave it. Once the colony has grown sufficiently, you can remove the feeder.
Another way to feed your bees is to use a plastic freezer bag. This plastic bag can be filled with sugar syrup and tied with an elastic band. The bag is then placed on top of the frames or under the hive cover. Using a small nail or brad, make holes in the bag, and the bees will feed from the holes.
Using a mason jar as a bee feeder as a watering station
Using a mason jar as your bee feeder is a simple but effective way to provide your bees with a constant supply of water. A mason jar can be reused as a watering station if you clean the lid properly. In order to provide your bees with water, you can prepare a simple sugar syrup made from equal parts of white sugar and water. You can boil the sugar syrup before using it to provide your bees with water. Once it has cooled, you can keep it in the fridge or let it ferment outdoors. Just remember to change the water every day, or at least once a day. After two days, you can discard the fermented water.
You should choose a glass jar with a tightly fitted lid. This will allow you to easily feed your bees without wasting time and energy pouring out sugar water. While you may not need a large quantity of sugar water, it is good to choose a small amount so your bees can get the correct amount of sugar.
Using a candy board as a bee feeder as a watering station
Using a candy board as a feeding and watering station requires a little planning ahead. First, you need to build a frame from four 3/4-inch thick pieces of wood. The next step is to make a mesh that will easily pass the bees through. Make sure the wire is large enough, and use a shim to keep the wire from causing a gap between the candy board and the top of the hive box.
Another option is to use a plastic frame feeder, which can hold one or two frames. This feeder allows the bees to walk through it and access the syrup. However, you should make sure that the holder is tightly secured to prevent the syrup from spilling out or getting everywhere else.
