Beekeepers must select an effective feeder when feeding their hive. Entrance feeders may be easy to monitor but may lead to increased robbing among weak colonies during winter or drought periods.
Internal top feeders allow beekeepers to easily monitor syrup levels and refill without disrupting their hive, plus these feeders feature steel safety screens to prevent bee drowning.
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Easy to refill
These feeders, commonly seen with 8 or 10 frame deep hive bodies, can hold up to three gallons. Beekeepers commonly opt for them due to their ease of monitoring; however, their usage can be risky because refilling requires accessing the hive itself exposing you to potential robbers and guard bees; furthermore they tend to spoil more quickly due to direct sun exposure.
The feeder consists of a jar that sits outside the entrance and slides in for quick access, providing bees with immediate food sources. This feeder is an effective way to quickly get new bees settling in quickly when introduced as packages; however, beekeepers should generally avoid entrance feeders since they encourage robbing and may freeze over during cold weather periods if too much syrup dries on it during that period.
Easy to clean
Entrance feeders make cleaning much simpler; simply remove snow and dead bee bodies to access the syrup container below. However, be wary not to disturb or damage any propolis curtain bees have collected on their entrance reducer – this natural antibiotic provides important support to keep your colony healthy.
Entrance feeders consist of a feeding tray that slides into the entrance of a hive and an inverted syrup container that sits inside it, making it easy to monitor feed levels and prevent robbing attempts. Unfortunately, these feeders may become frozen in cold temperatures and cease functioning effectively.
Frame feeders are another simple yet popular solution to feeding colonies without opening the hive. Fill a plastic freezer bag with sugar syrup, punch or drill 6-8 small holes into its lid and use this container as a frame feeder.
Deter robbing
Robbing occurs when bees find themselves lacking enough resources to meet their needs, leading them to raid or “rob” other colonies for resources they require. It typically appears as an alarming flurry of bees at the hive entrance fighting each other to obtain resources they require for survival.
Though robbing may still occur, there are a few strategies you can employ to stop it. First of all, an entrance reducer (either hardware cloth or screen) may help narrow the entrance and enable your bees to protect it efficiently.
Another way to deter robbers is by placing a water-soaked towel over the entrance to your hive, which will confuse any would-be thieves while still allowing its inhabitants to come and go freely without interruption. Or you could try using a “robbing screen”, which consists of plastic or mesh covers attached over your entrance that redirect the bees through an alternate entrance while simultaneously allowing guard bees to inspect each visitor and deny entry accordingly – similar to bouncers at clubs!
Easy to monitor
Entrance feeders (also referred to as Boardman feeders) are simple containers that sit atop your hive’s entrance, offering bees access to food through holes in their lid. Entrance feeders have many advantages including their ease of restocking and being visible without opening up your hive to check levels of syrup remaining.
However, they are exposed to the elements and can freeze in cold weather, inviting in unwanted robbers, pests, or insects seeking an easy meal.
One benefit of feeding hive bees with syrup is being able to track their consumption, making sure none is wasted. Keep in mind, however, that feeding should only serve as a supplement to natural foraging in summer and winter; once temperatures warm up sufficiently and their colony becomes full of honeybees then stopping feeding should help reduce robbing activity by restricting available resources for their colony.
