Feeders can be utilized to supplement a hive’s food supplies during times of resource scarcity, which typically occur during the spring or fall seasons.
Bee feeders provide honey, sugar syrup, pollen and honey to your bees. It’s essential that you use white sugar; darker-colored unrefined sugars such as brown, raw or bottled can lead to sick bees which eventually result in death.
Contents
Size
Feeding honey bees is an integral part of beekeeping. It helps keep the colony healthy and well-fed until they have built up stores of food.
When selecting a feeder, there are various types to choose from: contact feeders, rapid feeders and frame feeders.
Your choice of feeder will depend on several factors, including your objectives, the size of your hive and local weather conditions.
If you’re in search of an easy, fast, and cost-effective way to feed your bees, a rapid feeder might be the perfect solution. These feeders are easy to fill without drowning the bees and cause minimal disturbance to the hive when topping off supplies.
Material
Wood is a widely-used material to construct beehives due to its natural affinity and stability. Honeybees particularly enjoy this material due to its inherent attraction for them.
Beekeepers often select different wood types when crafting a bee feeder. Fir wood, for instance, is popular as it’s stable and doesn’t warp.
Cedar is another ideal option due to its sweet fragrance and resistance to weathering.
Frame feeders are bee feeders placed inside hives to hold syrup for the bees to feed on. Usually, they hold between one and two gallons of syrup.
Floats
One of the most critical parts of a wooden bee feeder are its floating parts. These components serve to prevent bees from drowning in sugar syrup.
These structures can be constructed out of dry twigs, wood chips or other easily-cleanable materials. They’re especially beneficial during the wintertime when they help reduce moisture in the hive.
Frame feeders are the most popular type of bee feeder because they’re cost-effective, easy to fill and can supply plenty of syrup quickly. Furthermore, frame feeders do not leak or spill when filled and won’t dribble onto bees like other feeders may do.
Design
A wooden bee feeder is the classic type of feeding device for honeybees. These containers usually fit inside a hive and can easily be filled with syrup for convenience.
Feeders of this type tend to be cheaper than other options and easier to clean. Just be mindful not to overfill them or leave them in the hive for extended periods of time.
Another type of bee feeder is the hive top feeder, which typically sits atop brood boxes and inside the hive cover. These containers can store an impressive amount of syrup and be filled without opening up the hive.
Feeding
A wooden bee feeder features a syrup container and feeding tray located at one end, making it easy to see how much food is left and when to refill.
These feeders are the most popular type of beekeeper, and for good reason: They’re cost-effective, easy to maintain, and fit snugly into hives. Unfortunately, they cannot be used during cold weather as their syrup containers may freeze and become inaccessible.
Top feeders are less prone to leakage than gravity or frame feeders, since you simply open the inner cover and lid for easy refilling without disturbing the bees below.
