Feeders

[jackbee]

I use contact feeders with great success as I get tubs free from work. I just shove a few holes in the lid an jobs a goodun. I bought some frame feeders from a leading company to use in some nucs I found that a lot of bee were drowning regular in them even though they hive a plastic float inside is this the norm for frame feeders?

The plastic float that seems to come as std with the green plastic frame feeder is rubbish - far too dense, doesn't float well on it's own, let alone covered in bees.

Replace with some wood if you must use frame feeders

 

[Poly Hive]

Either a strip of wood or some twigs or leaves even work well.

What they sell you is handy for them, looks the part but may well not actually work....

PH

 

[madasafish]

I use contact feeders with great success as I get tubs free from work. I just shove a few holes in the lid an jobs a goodun. I bought some frame feeders from a leading company to use in some nucs I found that a lot of bee were drowning regular in them even though they hive a plastic float inside is this the norm for frame feeders?

I have frame feeders in all my TBHs. I use multiple floats in the smaller ones: enough to cover the entire surface of the liquid totally and a bit more. Each about 30mm long so they don't make an obstruction when the fluid level changes.

In my larger in frame feeder, the float covers the entire wtaer surface (it's rectangular) and has holes drilled in it to allow bees access to solution.

As a result very few bees drown..

 

[barratt_sab]

Either a strip of wood or some twigs or leaves even work well.

What they sell you is handy for them, looks the part but may well not actually work....

PH

I have used homemade frame feeders until now, but needed a couple more big national rapid feeders so I added some frame feeders to the order. I put them in a couple of nucs last weekend and went to check the feed level yesterday. The bees were clearly struggling to get out and many were stuck in the feed. Leaves at twigs were what they got, as that's all I had to hand, but I think some wooden floats are required.

 

[oliver90owner]

but needed a couple more big national rapid feeders so I added some frame feeders to the order.

Why on earth did you order frame feeders when you needed rapid feeders? Buy right, buy once.