Bee colonies can usually feed themselves, but occasionally need assistance when forage becomes scarce. Bee feeders offer an inexpensive and easy solution for feeding bee colonies.
There are various options for bee pollen feeders, but one of the easiest solutions is using glass jars that can be easily placed inside each hive. This method works particularly well during winter when bee colonies need extra food stores.
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It’s easy to use
Feeding your bees is essential to their wellbeing, yet finding an efficient method can be challenging. Liquid feed may present problems during winter as bees remain inside their winter cluster and do not break out to collect it; additionally, any leakage of liquid feed into their colonies could pose danger to them and even be detrimental.
Provide dry pollen substitute to give the colony a boost when natural sources of protein may be scarce – something especially helpful during droughts or early spring when colonies quickly expand beyond what can be stored as reserves of protein.
This feeder is easy to use and ideal for new beekeepers who may be wary of trying more complex feeding techniques. It can either be placed outside for open feeding, or inside an empty hive body to be filled without disturbing bees. Made of plastic for easy cleanup and featuring six feeding ports allowing honeybees access, this feeder makes feeding honey bees effortless!
It’s easy to clean
This type of bee feeder offers an alternative to the more complicated and difficult-to-clean hive top or pail feeders, while being much easier to maintain. They’re especially ideal for new colonies without enough food stores to last them through the winter, or with insufficient stores of honey to last through. Before selecting one of these contact feeders it is important to understand how they access these feeders, ideally placing it between frames so bees don’t need to leave their hive and this helps minimize disease or other problems that might develop.
This feeder is an economical solution for beekeepers on a tight budget, being both simple and economical to use. Sitting conveniently by the entrance of your hive, this feeder allows you to monitor how much feed your bees have consumed without opening their hive – ideal for new beekeepers and small colonies that need some support while building up their colonies, or beekeepers who wish to feed dry pollen supplements.
It’s easy to store
As winter draws to a close or spring arrives, bees may run low on pollen supplies. When this occurs, dry pollen substitutes can provide the boost necessary to sustain their colonies until natural sources come back online again – particularly essential if bees have just started brood building early in spring or have recently emerged from winter hibernation.
Many beekeepers employ homemade versions of pollen feeders, consisting of an old plastic bag or container filled with sugar syrup and suspended from their hive. A hole poked through its lid serves as an entrance for bees that access it as they would natural pollen. Furthermore, this form of feeding is less attractive to Small Hive Beetles (SHBs), who cannot consume it like protein patties do.
An alternative method of feeding colonies during winter months is using an insulated feeder made of a frame or division board to hold sugar syrup and provide nourishment to colonies in need. Such feeders do not require suiting up, opening the hive, or disturbing its integrity when feeding, making maintenance simple and convenient.
It’s easy to transport
As seasons change and weather conditions alter, beekeepers must manually feed their colonies as necessary. Feeders provide relief for bees suffering from hunger and keep them from producing too much honey; they’re also useful when resources or certain environmental conditions prevent foraging by bees themselves. There are various types of feeders – frame and pail feeders are both convenient ways of feeding large-scale populations at relatively inexpensive costs; frame feeders should preferably be installed atop deep supers for protection from elements, robbing, and predators respectively.
Bee candy is an affordable way to provide sugar syrup to your bees during warm weather, and can easily be made by mixing together water and granulated sugar in a pot, attaching a candy thermometer, and placing the pot on the stove. Within an hour the mixture should reach temperatures suitable for bee consumption – ready for use.
