Flow Hive top feeders provide an effective means of providing nectar to bees during spring, summer and fall; some customers in warmer regions even report using them throughout winter!
Containers positioned upside-down over holes in your inner cover can help to keep intruders at bay and are usually covered with an empty super. To keep out unwanted guests.
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Internal Feeders
Many beekeepers create an internal hive feeder using a mason jar with a narrow mouth, placing it over the entrance hole in their inner cover. While this method provides quick and easy feeding opportunities, weak hives may increase robbing opportunities; to decrease this risk we recommend placing an entrance reducer alongside your feeder to help defend them against would-be thieves.
Use this hive top feeder to prevent thieves and animals from accessing your sugar water source, designed specifically to fit a 10-frame hive and come complete with pre-attached floats for convenient use.
Bees spend summer and fall gathering food stores to sustain them through winter, but in certain circumstances it may be necessary to supplement them with sugar syrup. This is particularly relevant when winters are harsh with no flowers for them to collect nectar from. A hive top feeder such as this one provides the ideal way to do just that by keeping its contents inside the hive away from potential risks like weather.
External Feeders
When operating a flow hive top feeder, it is vitally important that all access doors remain closed during feeding time to avoid bees from entering and competing over resources or drowning in syrup.
With the aid of a pro feeder, it is possible to place either a division board or full frame in the center of your hive and block its entrance in order to reduce robbing. You then place a baggie feeder over this frame with slits cut through for accessing syrup by bees.
Entrance feeders provide another excellent solution. These are containers inverted over an oval entrance hole on the inner cover covered by western or shallow super. Refilling is simple and no smoker or disturb is needed to fill this type of feeder – plus its large capacity means less mold growth! However, as these exposed their syrup to elements it may freeze in cold temperatures.
Baggie Feeders
Feeding can be made simple and affordable using baggie feeders. Start by gathering some 1-gallon size sealable plastic bags (freezer bags are ideal) and fill each with about 3/4 full of syrup before laying them onto your top bars of your hive. Cut several 2-inch slits at the top of each bag for your bees to access through.
Rapid feeders can also be an option. These circular devices fit over the inner cover hole and hold large quantities of syrup for inspection without opening the hive. Unfortunately, refilling one requires removing it first before refilling, and may attract robber bees which then need to be eliminated as a risk.
Some beekeepers use frame feeders. These special frames sit in place of normal frames and hold more syrup, but are vulnerable to robbers and drowning of bees without adequate floatation devices.
Entrance Feeders
Entrance feeders are easy-to-use feeding trays designed to slide into the entrance reducer of a Langstroth or Warre hive with an inverted syrup container resting atop. From outside, their level of sugar can be easily seen; their sugar level can even be checked without opening the hive! However, entrance feeders hold very limited syrup capacity, and can easily be breached by robbers (some beekeepers believe using such feeders encourages this behavior), plus require more inspections than other types of feeders – increasing chances for stings!
To use an entrance feeder, you must first remove its inner cover and fill it with a 1:1 syrup solution. Next, secure it using a medium hive body so as to avoid animals or high winds dislodging the container from under its protection. Using a clear lid (without opening your hive), check feed levels regularly and refill whenever necessary.
