Bees Drowning With Internal Feeder

[Essex Bees]

Each of my hives have an internal feeder which looks like a bog standard frame but has wood either side of the frame rather than a wax middle.

In France I used top feeders, but the hives I purchased here all have these internal frame feeders.

The thing is, I've got loads of dead bees in these feeders. Given that a bee can walk up a wall, I am surprised at just how many seem to drown.

Is there any way to stop this happening as it does seem rather daft to me.

Originally I thought it was to do with where I got my hives from originally and that it was just the way this particular bee breeder did things, but having ordered a poly nuc from Paynes, it's got the same kind of arrangement.

I know it sounds daft, but should I be putting some sort of ladder into the feeder so the bees can climb out easier?

 

[MrB]

they should have a float in them for the bee's to stand on. (should come with the feeder!)

 

[FenBee]

As I am sure you are aware bees cannot swim, well not for long. Is there a wooden float on top of the syrup?

It sounds to me like the floats are missing. I have not to date, used this type of feeder, but normally I think there should be a float inside.

 

[Essex Bees]

Ah ok ... that makes sense

Thanks .. it'll save buying the bees scuba gear

 

[theengraver]

you still get a load drowned with a float
the best thing to use are strips of garden netting

 

[SixFooter]

I bought a plastic frame feeder from Thornes and made some from Ply. The plastic one seems to drown a lot of bees in spite of having a float in it, but the wooden ones are OK.
I guess this is because the plastic surface has no grip when wet with syrup for the bees to climb up.

 

[drex]

Sounds like a wooden frame feeder. I made my own. When it came to water proofing I sprinkled some sand on the top of the paint - they are then able to get a grip and climb up easily. Suppose you could apply some thin PVA glue on the inside and then sprinkle the sand on that. I use strips of thin polystyrene floating in the feeders. Very few drown.

 

[Midland Beek]

you still get a load drowned with a float
the best thing to use are strips of garden netting

Yes, few bees drown if you stuff some plastic garden mesh inside ... something for them to climb on.

 

[tonybloke]

I just put a wooden float into my home-made frame feeders.

didn't bother faffing around painting / varnishing inside of them, bees can deal with slight leaks!

 

[pipewrench36]

I have no experience of frame feeders as I use contact feeders, but a word of warning to anyone contemplating using a 'Drop - in feeder' from T*****s. I used one of these with wet cappings one side and syrup the other using the dual purpose access cover. This is supposed to allow free access to the side with cappings, and only 'climb down' access to the syrup. Unfortunately my girls had not read the instructions and walked over the top of the divider thus falling into the syrup and drowning. I lost about 1,000 bees in a week this way. Needless to say said feeder is no longer used.

 

[Busybee123]

I bought a plastic frame feeder from Th**nes and made some from Ply. The plastic one seems to drown a lot of bees in spite of having a float in it, but the wooden ones are OK.
I guess this is because the plastic surface has no grip when wet with syrup for the bees to climb up.

I'm just starting out and got my two nucs this week. I used plastic frame feeders in both hives and gave them some thin syrup. Checked them today to find 100's (if not 1000's) of dead and dying bees in both feeders - once in they could not climb out, even with the wooden float in place. Inside of feeders is really smooth and bees could not get a grip.

Hopefully colonies will recover and hopefully I have not drowned the queen!

Some people say to put "garden mesh" in the feeder for bees to climb up.

Is that the really fine mesh (enviromesh?) used to keep insects off vegetables?

If you put mesh in the feeders presumably you don't use the wooden float?

In my ignorance I expected the feeder to work as supplied, and not act like a bee trap!

I've removed the frame feeders for now and replaced them with dummy boards.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[circe]

I've never had a problem with a wooden frame feeder with float - but did note when I used a giant, (green plastic) contactfeeder a similar problem - thebees couldn't get out of the syrup up the ribbed cones, I subsequently gave the cones a good sanding to roughen the surface but - not used it since. The giant feeder does seem to accommodate two national super honey combs so useful to feed frames of honey back and not a complete waste of money - but I'll stick to the smaller contact feeders and make more trips!!

 

[circe]

sorry - meant rapid feeder and not contact ... not a computer geek and can't figure out how to edit my posts yet...

 

[oliver90owner]

Inside of feeders is really smooth and bees could not get a grip.

Yes you answered your own question.

Netting is an option.

You could stick the netting to the side of the frame feeder and then use a reduced size float.

You may find the inside surface has been surface coated to render the feeder leakproof.
An alternative is to paint and include coarse (ish) sand in the mix or sprinkle with sand before the paint dries.

Lots of ways to do it, just unfortunate you should find this out the hard way.

Dare say you could sue the supplier, for supplying goods found unfit for it's purpose, but I would think a stern line to them might help.

Perhaps naming the supplier might make them do something about this apparent and real-time problem. It might also save others falling into the same trap.

Regards, RAB

 

[Hughesie]

Was it made of green plastic ?

 

[Dishmop]

It might also save others falling into the same trap.

 

[nosmoking]

Wine bottle corks? To act as floats

 

[Dishmop]

Milk shake drinking straws with the ends sealed up?

 

[Busybee123]

Perhaps naming the supplier might make them do something about this apparent and real-time problem.

I emailed the supplier and they replied suggesting I should roughen the inside of the feeder with sand paper.....

I discussed the problem with some more experienced members of my BKA and they thought the plastic frame feeder was a pretty poor design. The said that the supplied wooden float was not wide enough.

Anyway, I'm now using rapid feeders.

 

[Busybee123]

Was it made of green plastic ?

No, redish brown plastic.