Frame feeder - dozy question

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wilderness

House Bee
Joined
Dec 8, 2008
Messages
413
Reaction score
1
Location
South Oxfordshire
Hive Type
14x12
Number of Hives
4 + 1 nucs
I have frame feeders in my 2 nucs. I've never used them before. I went to re-fill today as they were completely empty and the feeder is full of hungry bees. How do you get the bees out?
 
Take the feeder out, invert it and give the base a sharp tap; ie treat it as you would if you want to knock all the bees off a frame.
refill it and put it back.
 
Opening myself up for a slap down I suspect! :blush5:

Make a mini miller, I have for nucs. Frame feeder may put the syrup where they want it but if it runs out within the week then you are out of syrup and putting them back by opening up to a) check and b) refill. At least a mini-miller lets you hold more syrup and refill without disturbing if you have to refill. Then you keep intervention to a minimum and let them build quicker.

If you want to stop feeding then just leave it in place till next scheduled inspection - simples!
 
Thanks Vortex that's pretty much what I did but they were reluctant to come out so had to bash the feeder upside down on the grass a couple of times. Pi***d them off no end :smash:

I only slid the crown board over enough to get the feeder out so the remaining 4 frames were still covered.

Rosti, I like the idea but my woodworking skills won't be up to making something like that.
 
wilderness - I am a new beekeeper - and wondered the very same thing when I started to use a frame feeder on my nuc.

With no-one around to ask - I decided to just pour more sugar syrup into the feeder with it in place - it went surprisingly well, actually!

Obviously, there were a few bees who got rather wet - but I poured slowly, so they had time to run up the side of the frame feeder before it was full, and escape safely (although rather more sticky than they were before).

I did manage to splosh some on the top of the feeder, but there were bees gathered around the spillage in seconds lapping it up.
 
Obvious point but I'll make it anyway, If you are using a frame feeder for the first time do you have a large piece of wood in the feeder to act as a float and limit casualties?
 
Obvious point but I'll make it anyway, If you are using a frame feeder for the first time do you have a large piece of wood in the feeder to act as a float and limit casualties?

OMG - that's why I've drown a few bees. That what make this site so good - little snippets of info like this.:party:
 
Obvious point but I'll make it anyway, If you are using a frame feeder for the first time do you have a large piece of wood in the feeder to act as a float and limit casualties?

Yes I do
 
A frame feeder should arrive with a float in it.

Do not OVER feed your nuc. Look at the weather at the moment? Do they REALLY need feeding over this weekend? I would argue no.

I have 18 nucs at the minute and I am not feeding at all.

If the feeder runs out in autumn feeding that is another situation altogether.

At this time.... forget it.

PH
 
Do not OVER feed your nuc.

PH is absolutely correct. Unless it is a 'manufactured' nuc with few flying bees and so is short on foragers. That is why nucs should come with a balanced workforce, brood and food - a self-contained mini colony.

Regards, RAB
 
I have frame feeders in my 2 nucs. I've never used them before. I went to re-fill today as they were completely empty and the feeder is full of hungry bees. How do you get the bees out?[/QUOTE]



When you continue that way, your bees will be all out because they swarm.
You just spoil you hives. There are no hungry bees.

If you have a small colony 5 frames and one frame is full of food, it is good.
Don't give more. They get food from nature like Poly Hive says.

They draw combs with honey and they need not help in that job.

********

Take the feeders off in the evening and bees fly to home.
If they get nectar outside, they will not come back to lick the sugar.

*********

If my nucs have too much stored food, I take extra food away. I never feed the nmucs. I take from another hive food frame and give to the nuc - if necessary. Feeding starts often robbing and a small nuc cannot protect itself.

I have guite much 2-3 frames mating nucs.

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The nucs are "home made" not bought.

One is made up of:- 1 frame of food with all adhering bees + another frame of shaken bees + 3 frames of foundation + a virgin + frame feeder.

The other is a small caste swarm on 4 frames of foundation + frame feeder.

I hope this clarifies.
 
The nucs are "home made" not bought.

One is made up of:- 1 frame of food with all adhering bees + another frame of shaken bees + 3 frames of foundation + a virgin + frame feeder..

This is good as a mating nuc and to keep the queen for later use..


.
The other is a small caste swarm on 4 frames of foundation + frame feeder.
.

4 frame swarms are too slow to develop. You get a really much better result when you join those two together.

To draw foundations sugar use is well done.

But if you want to keep those colonies, ry to get new swarms and strenghten the colonies. Otherwise the start is very painfull.

.
 
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