Beginner's question about rapid feeder

[Melbourne12]

I'm sure we're missing something obvious here, so apologies for what is probably a daft question

We've been advised to increase the amount of feeding to our new bees. Up to now, we've been putting syrup in a frame feeder, and the bees have used it very successfully. Our mentor advised adding a "rapid feeder" also - one of the conical type feeders that are widely sold.

So we filled one with syrup and put it over the hole in the crownboard, using an empty super as an eke. As per textbook, we thought.

After a couple of days the bees had again cleaned out the frame feeder, but not touched the syrup in the rapid feeder overhead.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

[andynorton]

It seems to help if you dribble a few teaspoons of syrup down the central hole. They seem to have trouble detecting its there unless you draw their attention to it. I don't think the syrup has any detectable smell.

 

[victor meldrew]

Bees don't waste energy,
naturally they have cleaned out the frame feeder first , they see the space within the hive as a potential building site !.
Remove the frame feeder, fill the space left with frames of foundation and continue with the rapid feeder .

John Wilkinson

 

[Melbourne12]

Thanks very much! I'll take both sets of advice and remove the frame feeder and drip some syrup from the cone feeder. Cheers.

 

[Melbourne12]

And it worked! Thanks again.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am curious as to why your bees need such heavy feeding at this time? Is there nothing around for them to get?

PH

 

[Melbourne12]

I am curious as to why your bees need such heavy feeding at this time? Is there nothing around for them to get?

PH

These were a working hive bought from EasyBee. Although they had some stores of pollen and nectar, there wasn't enough to support their increase in numbers. When we examined the hive after a week, we found some pollen remaining, but the nectar had been entirely exhausted. Hence the need for syrup.

I collected the hive during the afternoon, so perhaps we lost some foragers. I guess that as soon as the number of foragers increases, they'll be able to feed themselves.

 

[Poly Hive]

All quite right and good beekeeping.

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

I did a horsley board split,(a thing I have done countless times). this time it was late in the season.
The top box containing the brood + none flying bees starved very quickly,I am ashamed to say , the main difference between this time and previously was the fact that the main flow was over .
Strange thing is; the bees in the top box had access to the entire hive (supers and bottom brood box) via a section of queen excluder ?
This hasn't happened since (I check stores situation more diligently now).

John Wilkinson.
Moral . Whilst the horsely board method is a semi automatic technique, please be aware care must be excercised!!.