Feeding solution?

[paul]

Hello everybody, I'm looking for some opinions.

Last season I bought some Maisemore's Jumbo green feeders. Unfortunately, this resulted in the deaths of many bees - the cone areas on all the feeders were actually packed with corpses.

This season, I thought I had resolved the problem by sticking sandpaper to the surface of the cones and making sure that the clear plastic covers were firmly seated in the groove of the feeder bottom.

No such luck! The same masses of dead bees filling the entire areas between the clear cones and the green cones of the feeders.

Anyway, having looked around for possible workarounds, I thought I might try removing the clear cone altogether and putting an inch or so of straw to float on top of the syrup.

I would value any constructive comments on this idea.

Regards, Paul.

 

[Luminos]

I too seem to have had similar problems with both Ashforth and Rapid feeders (T'ornes).
I had no such problems last year.

Have put a strip of scrunched-up hessian in the "trough" of the Ashforths until I can repaint them with some sand incorporated; but I don't really know what do do about the Rapid feeders other than not fill them right up.
The bees have started to put little blobs of propolis under the cone, presumably to give themselves some grip.

 

[VEG]

The idea of the cone is to allow the feeder to be filled without disturbing the bees. If you remove the cone then when the roof is taken off the hive, the lid of the feeder removed, the bees will be able to fly out, not a big problem as long as you are suited up.

 

[peteinwilts]

I have thought about using a textured spray paint to give the bees extra grip.

At the moment I just use a small handfull of dead grass in the cone, which works well..

 

[itma]

Bees can walk straight up a glass window.
Grip is not the simple answer.


This summer I made up a carefully-shaped float for an unpainted brand-new shiny plastic frame feeder.
No drowned bees (at all) were found in that feeder after use.
That float was
- as wide as possible (determined by the width at the bottom - the sides taper!)
- shaped to go round the internal 'pillars' without catching
- weighted underneath for anti-capsize stability (a few brass screws)
- far from an example of fine joinery!

I'm not sure that textured paint (maybe with sand) or even sandpaper is addressing the real issue. I don't have one of the specific feeders mentioned, but I'd wonder whether 'crowd pressure' and perhaps lack of beespace for two-way traffic in the cone might be a large part of the reason for the drownings.

 

[Luminos]

'crowd pressure' and perhaps lack of beespace for two-way traffic in the cone might be a large part of the reason for the drownings.
I thought this, too - bees that have taken syrup and trying to get back up past the others, coupled with a very slippery ascent

 

[Erichalfbee]

My Maisemore green feeder was a great success as was the Ashforth.
The Modern Beekeeping feeder with sand panted on the descending surface drowned countless bees and one colony refused to use it.
For me, the best by far are the round rapid feeders (the Maisemore is just a double version). The only drawback is I have to top them up daily.

 

[Moggs]

Some plastic pea netting scrunched into the jumbo feeder gives the bees some purchase to climb out of the goo. It worked for me when I hadn't taken the cones with me but it does allow a fair number of bees into the void. Worth a try but I won't guarantee success.

 

[Poly Hive]

Is it too obvious to say phone the vendor and seek advice?

PH

 

[paul]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply.

To be honest, I lost patience trying unsuccessfully to contact the vendor by 'phone last year.

However, thanks to Peteinwilts for sharing his idea: "At the moment I just use a small handfull of dead grass in the cone, which works well."

I tried this yesterday afternoon and all seemed well when I peeked in about an hour ago.

Thanks again Pete, you've saved me a lot of disappointment.

Paul.

 

[Finman]

.
I have rubbed all walking surfaces with sand paper.
Otherwise bees slip down to syrup.

If you rub all surfaces with polyurethane glue, it makes surfaces rough too.
It is difficult to rub all points with sand paper.
It is difficult to find a paint which attaches onto plastic surface and it is without odor.