Are we doing some thing wrong?

[mystil]

Just bought a Maisemore Jumbo Rapid Feeder.

Have placed it on top of the crownboard and the bees dont seem to be able to reach the funnels to get the feed, as the bottom of the feeder has a bee space.


Are we daft and doing something wrong?

Sorry bit of a daft question!

 

[HelenX]

I use mine instead of a crownboard and this works well. I add a strip of wide masking tape to make sure it is wasp-proof and bee-proof at the join.
H

 

[biglongdarren]

just set the feeder on top of the brood box.

 

[Juststarting]

I have two on the moment - in one hive the bees seem to be "happily" using it, although they seem to prefer on entrance to the other. In the other hive they seem to have failed to find the entrances and have shown no interest in it, despite having been fed with it before. I have tried trickling a little syrup around the inside of the entraance and on to the top of the frame s to see if they will use it. Although the set up is the same on both hives I may have to use a smaller eke so the feeder is nearer the frame tops - I have eke on for apigard treatment.

I dont thik the problem is having a beespace between bottom of feeder just a question of bees realising there is food in it and moving uo to get it. Adding sent to the feed may also help and I may consider this if they do not start taking it soon.

I had a similar issue with 1 ltr rapid feeders - two hives found them straight away and have already taken a couple of litres, the third hive has only just found it ( a few bees using it tonight) and that is after being on for 3 days.

 

[YorkshireBees]

I have 3, now on the 2nd set of hives and have no problem and I put them on top of the crownboard as I wasn't sure and didn't have time to check before using them. I did dribble some syrup down the funnels and in all cases bees found their way within a day or so.

I moved them from the 1st set of hives yesterday late afternoon / early evening and by today they had half emptied them!

Depending on your crownboard hole(s) position, I believe there is a rib down the centre of the feeder underneath that may prevent bees reaching one funnel.

Anyway I am so pleased with them and the fact that I don't have to visit every hive every day to top up feeders I may very well buy a load more!

 

[mystil]

Ok Answer found. We have just been out to see if the feeder is in use. The bees are on top of the crown board but not in the feeder. We took the cap off and placed in a small twig to bridge the gap between feeder and crown board. 4 seconds later 5 bees on the twig. 10 seconds later 8 bees in the feeder taking down syrup. Maybe they would have found it on their own, but the twig speeds things up.

 

[drstitson]

absolutely bizarre.

the feeder can be used with or without crownboard.

the beespace IS important as it allows either a beespace above the frames if no CB OR if you have a flat topped CB to again allow a BS for the bees to access the underside of the feeder.

re CB holes - yes the feeder has a bar down the middle BUT this is only an inch or so wide so with normal style CB you either have both holes slightly covered in the middle OR central hole mostly blocked and side hole free. whatever the bees can always access one or both feeder cones.

the bees in the OP were just slow to find the feeder and the stick just gave them reason to ascend. nothing about beespace.
remember beespace=bee highway=goodthing.

 

[Finman]

.
I use 4 mm extra board between the box and the feeder that bees do no glue the feeder with burr to the frames.

If bees do not find they way to the feeder, put some honey into the sucking site.

Food is better to give syrup in the morning when it is warm and cluster is expanded.

 

[Gardenbees]

Syrup doesn't have much smell on its own, and in a new feeder it can take the bees a while to get the hang of it. In future, if you want them to find a route to the syrup in a new feeder, just wipe a bit of their own honey along the trail you want them to follow. Use a bit of honey-filled brace comb, a couple of cells from round the edge of a brood comb, or any other ready source. Don't overdo it though: they won't like having lots of honey exposed.

Or do what I do, and put a couple of drops of organic lavender and thyme essential oils into each 4-pint feeder of syrup. They'll take the hive apart to get at it then.

 

[Beeline]

Ok Answer found. We have just been out to see if the feeder is in use. The bees are on top of the crown board but not in the feeder. We took the cap off and placed in a small twig to bridge the gap between feeder and crown board. 4 seconds later 5 bees on the twig. 10 seconds later 8 bees in the feeder taking down syrup. Maybe they would have found it on their own, but the twig speeds things up.

Same problem. I have a one inch eke for varroa treatment and the feeder on top of the crownboard above and they don't seem to be able to bridge the gap. I think that idea of the twig may do just the trick.