Ashforth feeder use on a National

[RodBromiley]

I wish to feed my bees using a Ashforth. Can I put this directly above the Brood Box or will I have to put a Queen Excluder between the feeder and the Brood?
Bit worried the queen may wander up into the feeder !
Also in the channel in the Ashforth feeder, I read that people have added twigs etc to cut down the numbers of workers that could drown. Viewpoints on this welcome. As always please be patient as I'm a new-bee. Kindest Regards

 

[B+.]

I wish to feed my bees using a Ashforth. Can I put this directly above the Brood Box or will I have to put a Queen Excluder between the feeder and the Brood?
Bit worried the queen may wander up into the feeder !
Also in the channel in the Ashforth feeder, I read that people have added twigs etc to cut down the numbers of workers that could drown. Viewpoints on this welcome. As always please be patient as I'm a new-bee. Kindest Regards

It isn't normal to feed at this time of year. The colony should be foraging for itself.
If it is a very small colony, or the weather is so bad that they are kept in for an extended period, I accept that you may need to feed. However, a slow contact feeder (or a frame feeder) is usually used with a thin syrup. An Ashforth feeder is quite a large bulk feeder which is good for getting large volumes of thick syrup into the colony in the autumn so they lay it down as winter feed. With top bee space hives such as the Langstroth, you can lay the Ashforth feeder straight ontop of the rim of the hive and the bees can access the feeder channel. With bottom bee space hives, you probably should raise it above the frames with a queen excluder unless there is a 3/8" rim around the bottom. With a contact feeder, the access to the food is a small circular gauze which the bees lick at. These should be raised a little off the frames or the bees will probably stick the feeder to the frames with propolis.

 

[RodBromiley]

Thanks for the reply

I have just ordered a small contact feeder so should be here tomorrow.I asked about the Ashworth as I already have one. I totally understand your point regarding feeding this time of year. The Bees are new to me and a swarm that's been captured and hived into my hive. They are being moved here from approx 15 miles away so I was planning on feeding for a short period until they localise themselves and figure out where to go food hunting. So my thoughts being in a new home and a new location was to settle them down for a while and make it a tad easier.
As its a approx 20000 swarm I expect them to consume quite a lot in the first few days.
With regards as and when I do use a Ashworth !, would you know if a Queen excluder is required between the feeder and the Brood ?. The hives were constructed with Top bee Space.
Kind Regards
Rod

 

[Finman]

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I use a thin hard fibre board ( 3 mm) between hive and the feeder. Otherwise bees make burr in the gap under the feeder.

No excluder is needed.

I have used 20% sugar syrup for swarms. Then they do not store the sugar.

 

[einsteinagogo]

If it was me, I would only feed a swarm if the weather was bad, and they couldn't get out.

I generally leave a queen excluder on the floor, for 3 days, to stop them absconding.

and also monitor for varroa, and treat with OA, (trickle) as there will be no brood.

 

[bpmurray]

Have you tried a jam jar filled with 1:1 syrup with a few holes in the lid inverted over the hole in the crown board? That works a treat and it's definitely very cheap. The size is such that an empty super can be used as a kind of eke to allow you put on the roof.

 

[B+.]

would you know if a Queen excluder is required between the feeder and the Brood ?. The hives were constructed with Top bee Space.

The queen excluder is only used to provide a beespace under the feeder so it wouldn't be required on a top beespace hive.
The idea of the straw/twigs is to provide something for the bees to walk on so they don't drowned in the stampede to get to the syrup. It wouldn't be required for a contact feeder. Be careful about using things that can introduce bacteria to the syrup and only feed them what they can take in a couple of days or it will forment.
Oh...I like the idea of putting an excluder under the hive too. That should stop the queen from flying off if they do try to abscond

 

[RodBromiley]

As always, thank you all for the help, support and advice. Every time I ask a question I get great answers and actually information around the answer that is useful and food for thought. Your always patient and this gives New-Bees like myself the confidence to ask what may seem basic questions. This forum has saved me a small fortune £ as well as giving me the answers I need.

 

[Arfermo]

If you think you really do need to feed, despite there being plenty of forage around at the moment, in your circs a better bet would be a rapid feeder on top of the CB. A contact feeder tends to leak due to expansion and contraction of the syrup when the ambient temperature varies as much as is doing.