Kieler upper body and the food compartment

[fatshark]

I have a number of Kielers with mated queens I'm intending to overwinter. I have the upper body fitted. I've found the bees draw down the comb from the upper body into the feed compartment. This makes replenishing the fondant/sugar a pain as you have to cut off the excess comb first.

I appreciate there's unlikely to be much comb building mid-winter, but would like to prevent this whilst feeding them up for winter. Has anyone found a solution? I wondered about a sheet of thin perspex or plastic sheet pinned across the top of the feeder.

With thanks

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fatshark

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I am toying with the idea of ditching the bottom feeder and mocking something up in Correx to go into a second upper body like the Apidea upper body feeder. It would allow more frames in the bottom boxes also. Should be able to get a good kg on fondant into a 'super' which is easier to look at check and refill in the winter.

 

[fatshark]

Nic
I'd considered this as well ... it would be straightforward to make a couple of wedge-shaped wooden spacers to span the upper body, then fix a ply or correx false ceiling on with a hole to feed fondant.

However, that's a triple decker and I'd hoped to stick to just a two-storey hive.

A quick test with a 2mm perspex offcut shows it fits just fine between the upper and lower body, no need to pin it in place and space-enough for access to the feed compartment. I'll try covering it with vaseline (to avoid them sticking comb to it) and fitting it this weekend when they get a refill.

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fatshark

 

[Midland Beek]

Would it be better to 'under-super'? I would not overwinter with a double Kieler; I think in terms of the additional boxes being suitable for uniting.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I remove the bottom feeder and replace with two new top bars,then top eke,then another eke which takes a feeder of syrup,then fill this section with fondant after syrup feeding is done....best to also feed some kind of nosema medication,they are very prone to getting nosema in these small box's over winter.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Have not got any here but would a 1lb honey jar feeders lids fit inside?, possibly three jars into a super. It must be close height wise. If not is there a slightly squatter bottle we could use or just holes in convention 1lb honey jar lid like many still use? I recon you could get three 1 lb jars into a super as a liquid feeder that would last quite a while. Thoughts?

 

[WaxManSmokerBoy]

Point of interest, has anyone weighed the fondant that will fit in that Kieler feeder? Surprise, surprise 1kg. I had to do a double take before I believed it myself.

Thanks for the nosema heads up there Hivemaker.