Feeding sugar syrup to bees during late winter and early spring often does not work well; bees will simply not accept it and it may induce brood rearing when not necessary.
One common method of feeding is with a “bag feeder.” This device can be made out of any clean container with an attached lid and placed over the colony entrance.
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Entrance Feeder
There are various versions of feeders designed to fit into beehives; some are very straightforward while others can be more intricate. A beginner kit often comes equipped with the frame feeder – an inverted jar filled with syrup placed on a tray that fits into the entrance of a hive’s entrance. Although the frame feeder can be easily used, its use often leads to drowned bees being unable to scale the smooth plastic walls and it often sloshes and drips all over; additionally it limits capacity as it may also cause drone comb to form.
Another type is the hive top feeder. Housed entirely within the hive and less susceptible to bee robbing from stronger colonies, it is easier for bees to access. Unfortunately, refilling and checking on its syrup level can be cumbersome and time consuming, while being heavy enough to cause spillage if moved from its location while full.
Division Board Feeder
Division Board Feeders are another alternative to entrance feeders; these wide containers hang inside hives and replace one frame. Most often constructed from plastic with a rough surface for bees to climb on in order to access their syrup supply. They do not induce as much robbing but tend to hold less syrup due to bees having to crawl through an abundance of it in order to reach its bottom layer.
This type of feeder can also be messy and costly because you must open up your hive in order to refill or check on how much syrup is left. Furthermore, these types of feeders may foster the growth of mold (not harmful to bees), which clogs up feeder holes aesthetically – an issue especially prevalent with narrow frame division feeders with floats like an anel. An effective solution would be shim the center compartment with some hardware cloth.
Baggie Feeder
One of the easiest and simplest ways to feed bees is with a Baggie Feeder. This approach involves filling a plastic freezer bag with syrup and positioning it above a cluster on an inner frame (it can also be used with dry sugar). A hole is cut in the top of the bag so bees can access their meal without leaving their colony.
This type of feeder is easy and affordable to make, making it the ideal companion to beekeeping colonies of various sizes. A quart-sized freezer bag works well as it can be found at most grocery stores; brads or nails with small diameter are used to puncture holes into its upper surface using a brad nail puncher.
A deep super is placed over this feeder to protect it from rain and wind.
Inverted Container
Some beekeepers opt for open feeding by using a five gallon bucket with tiny perforations in its base to feed their colonies; this method is known as open feeding and may lead to imbalanced ratios of sugar to water (or syrup) that could leave their colonies vulnerable in case of bad weather, poor pollination or insect invasion.
Other beekeepers use feeders in their hives that feature metal frames or jagged plastic edges to give bees grip and provide them with enough traction while sipping syrup. Unfortunately, such feeders are more prone to fatality due to loss of grip while difficult to check and refill without suiting up or disrupting their colonies.
Baggie feeders are another common feeder option, using gallon-sized Ziploc bags filled two thirds full of syrup and attached directly to the hive with an “X” cut in their tops for easy and affordable feeding. Advantages of using such feeders include easy of use and low cost.
