dead bees in rapid feeder

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Another way is to dry them in Aga, as mentioned, then dip in honey, tempura batter and deep fry....yummy!
 
back on topic, are the feeders 'english' and from th**rnes?

I bought a good number of these and after the first feed I had a large amount dead on the inside of the upturned cup.

I placed a small amount of dried grass in the cup. Now (almost!) no more dead bees in the feeders.

Unless anyone can tell me I shouldn't, I will spray paint the centre of the feeder with a textured paint to make sure they have plenty of grip, and less likely to fall in..
 
Pete

Strange you've had problems with their English feeder because I think it is far better than the smaller rapid feeder sold by them as at least the English feeder has grooves on both the raised crown and the inside surface of the cone. Haven't lost any bees.
They need to read the manual.;)

BL
 
Another way is to dry them in Aga, as mentioned, then dip in honey, tempura batter and deep fry....yummy!

Today's 'Times' - Heston Blumethal recommends bee omelette. However when reading the small print it appears he is recommending omelette with bee and ant eggs. New sales opportunity - collecting bee eggs? Do you think Heston would buy them?
 
Rather than the eggs - perhaps heston might like to serve a dish of queen cells - nice big bug plus royal jelly sauce. all served up whilst listening to recording of piping on an ipod.

or perhaps he could serve raw ripe queen cells - straight out of the incubator - which emerge just as the waiter finishes explaining the dish to you.
 
Another delight from furher down the county....
Cornish Honey cookies with varroa mite sprinkles... with a hint of thyme no less !

bonapitite as they says in them parts!
 
Rapid feeder problems

Back on topic - I have had the same experience. An old metal rapid feeder, the cone with smooth ribs and covered by an inverted plastic cup. No ridge for the cup to fit into. Lots of dead bees, looked like they had climbed down the cone and fallen into the syrup, and not able to get back up the cone. Now I have put bits of polystyrene into the cup, hope they can float on them while imbibing!
Similar problem with a Th**nes plastic frame feeder earlier in the spring. Supplied with a bit of wood floating in it for a raft, but didn't do any good. The bees couldn't get back up the smooth walls of the feeder. Even found the queen in the syrup, barely alive and blackened. Thankfully her minions cleaned her up and she's still laying!
Hive-top feeders more expensive, but miles better for many reasons, methinks.
 
Thanks Oliver, I had thought of robbing as a possibility, but I have been very careful to ensure that the roof is seated properly and is bee-proof every time I put it back on. However you could be right.

Checked the hive again last evening and all seemed ok - they had brought down another 1.25 l of syrup and all appeared to be ok. I have sent a sample of bees away today for disease diagnosis (just in case) so I might get some answers.

I am baffled - I got a reply from the Bees Diagnostic Service that there was no disease, which was good news.

The bees have since being bringing down syrup with very few dead bees evident. However today when I checked the last set of jars that went on last Friday evening the jars were empty but there must have been over 200 dead bees on the floor around the jars.

To date they have brought down almost 2 1/2 gals of 2:1 syrup and no doubt will take more. could they be hungry and be fighting each other for the syrup ? Could there be robbers coming into the hive (front entrance) and making their way upstairs ?

The adjacent hive is getting the same syrup and doesn't have any dead bees.
 
I am baffled - I got a reply from the Bees Diagnostic Service that there was no disease, which was good news.

The bees have since being bringing down syrup with very few dead bees evident. However today when I checked the last set of jars that went on last Friday evening the jars were empty but there must have been over 200 dead bees on the floor around the jars.

To date they have brought down almost 2 1/2 gals of 2:1 syrup and no doubt will take more. could they be hungry and be fighting each other for the syrup ? Could there be robbers coming into the hive (front entrance) and making their way upstairs ?

The adjacent hive is getting the same syrup and doesn't have any dead bees.

Where exactly are these dead bees? It sounds like you are saying that they are above the crownboard. If so, it seems very likely that they are robbers trying to get to your feeder through a gap and then getting stuck in the space between the crownboard and the roof where they will starve or die of cold.
Bees (either yours or robbers) should not have any access to the space above the crownboard.
 
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Thanks Oliver, I had thought of robbing as a possibility, but I have been very careful to ensure that the roof is seated properly and is bee-proof every time I put it back on. However you could be right.

Checked the hive again last evening and all seemed ok - they had brought down another 1.25 l of syrup and all appeared to be ok. I have sent a sample of bees away today for disease diagnosis (just in case) so I might get some answers.

Where exactly are these dead bees? It sounds like you are saying that they are above the crownboard. If so, it seems very likely that they are robbers trying to get to your feeder through a gap and then getting stuck in the space between the crownboard and the roof where they will starve or die of cold.
Bees (either yours or robbers) should not have any access to the space above the crownboard.

Yes they are above the crownboard in a super containing jars of syrup and they have free access between the super and the brood chamber, through the hole in the crownboard. The jars are on timber laths about 18mm high and the jar lids are perforated underneath to allow them remove the syrup.
The temperature at night has not gone below 12C so it's unlikely they are getting cold.
 
Yes they are above the crownboard in a super containing jars of syrup and they have free access between the super and the brood chamber, through the hole in the crownboard. The jars are on timber laths about 18mm high and the jar lids are perforated underneath to allow them remove the syrup.
The temperature at night has not gone below 12C so it's unlikely they are getting cold.

Well, unless it is a problem with your syrup, I would suggest ditching your jars and placing a rapid feeder directly over the feedhole (and blocking the other hole), then you have eliminated any access to the area where they are all dying.
 
Well, unless it is a problem with your syrup, I would suggest ditching your jars and placing a rapid feeder directly over the feedhole (and blocking the other hole), then you have eliminated any access to the area where they are all dying.

It can't be a problem with the syrup either, as the adjacent hive is getting the same syrup without any problems.

Appreciate the answers, and have asked some local beekeepers, including my Dad who has bees for over 20 years, without getting a plausible answer.

:confused:
 
Wasn't until I gaffer-taped the crownboard on the very top and then similarly round edges of roof to make it totally bee/wasp proof that I established my dead 'feeders' in a miller feeder must have been robbers, they had been coming from outside not inside.
Are there any dead wasps among the bees? this could be an indication.
 
I have to ask are the jar`s dripping if so the bees will get stuck like they
would when it rains on top of the hive and drowned.

This is the only logic i can think of, I would check the flow of the jars there may be one leaking, or invest in a rappid feeder which i us.

hope this helps good luck finding the solution.
 
Wasn't until I gaffer-taped the crownboard on the very top and then similarly round edges of roof to make it totally bee/wasp proof that I established my dead 'feeders' in a miller feeder must have been robbers, they had been coming from outside not inside.
Are there any dead wasps among the bees? this could be an indication.

No wasps at all.
Might try your tip on the gaffer-tape, in case they are getting in somewhere, though the hive bodies are all new and there's no obvious entry point under the roof.
 
I have to ask are the jar`s dripping if so the bees will get stuck like they
would when it rains on top of the hive and drowned.

This is the only logic i can think of, I would check the flow of the jars there may be one leaking, or invest in a rappid feeder which i us.

hope this helps good luck finding the solution.

Occasionally one of the jars will drip a little onto the crown board when it is inverted but that ceases after a second or two. The dead bees are in a dry environment when I take off the roof.
 
with me hive set up at the moment floor,brood,crown,empty super for feeder,roof..... i have noticed water entering into the brood box and i can see it collecting in the frame runner dip, think i will try the gaffa tape fix as wellnot worthynot worthynot worthy
 
I use a disc of bubblewrap in the rapid feeders with a hole in the middle for for the dome. If bees do get in whatever way it gives them a lifeboat to cling to until I check feeder.

I also put a weight on top of the feeder to ensure its down hard I have found if I fill them to full it floats up at first and the bees can get in.
 

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