older style abelo crown boards and feeding

[Cuckmere couple]

i use english feeders and usually place over the central feed hole in a crown board

last few years i have found most hives struggle to find the feed when i place the feeder over the central hole in the abelo cb as the square ridge makes the feeder slightly too far for the bees to find the feed

despite trickling etc...this year not one of 6 hives managed to find the feed. I have now replaced with wooden CBs and they are all taking it down

the new abelo CBs with the annoying multiple circular holes in the CB, have been ok and bees fed fine

I had the same problem last year

has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it....was wondering about cutting the central ridge out!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve been feeding over a vaping eke which is 2 inches deep and had the same problem with a couple of colonies till I put a spoonful of honey into the feed.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I’ve been feeding over a vaping eke which is 2 inches deep and had the same problem with a couple of colonies till I put a spoonful of honey into the feed.

interesting that adding honey did it!

 

[user 20297]

i use english feeders and usually place over the central feed hole in a crown board

last few years i have found most hives struggle to find the feed when i place the feeder over the central hole in the abelo cb as the square ridge makes the feeder slightly too far for the bees to find the feed

despite trickling etc...this year not one of 6 hives managed to find the feed. I have now replaced with wooden CBs and they are all taking it down

the new abelo CBs with the annoying multiple circular holes in the CB, have been ok and bees fed fine

I had the same problem last year

has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it....was wondering about cutting the central ridge out!

Have you considered using their Ashforth feeder? They aren't expensive and are much safer for the bees (if your feeder is how I imagine it to be).
They fit perfectly in that rectangular slot and there's a very simple adaptor-plate you can use to place the same feeder over a round hole on the five-hole crownboard.

I can vouch for what @Erichalfbee says about honey in the feed; but I'm not doing it again because it sends my bees berserk.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Have you considered using their Ashforth feeder? They aren't expensive and are much safer for the bees (if your feeder is how I imagine it to be).
They fit perfectly in that rectangular slot and there's a very simple adaptor-plate you can use to place the same feeder over a round hole on the five-hole crownboard.

I can vouch for what @Erichalfbee says about honey in the feed; but I'm not doing it again because it sends my bees berserk.

thanks Beebe, trying to keep using the kit i have...swapping crown boards seems to have worked and i dont have bees drown since i sanded and roughed up the inside of the cone cover etc

interesting re the honey working...wonder if that is the smell attracting them where syrup doesnt or if they only communicate location of honey rather than syrup

 

[user 20297]

thanks Beebe, trying to keep using the kit i have...swapping crown boards seems to have worked and i dont have bees drown since i sanded and roughed up the inside of the cone cover etc

interesting re the honey working...wonder if that is the smell attracting them where syrup doesnt or if they only communicate location of honey rather than syrup

I'm sure it's the smell and I'm guessing that some of the commercial additives owe some of their claimed success to adding a pong of some form. I am sure that every other beekeeper is like me and has developed great sensitivity to the slightest hint of bee-smell....just imagine how compelling that must be for an actual bee.

 

[Erichalfbee]

interesting that adding honey did it!

You don’t need much. A teaspoon in 2 litres is enough.
Just so that they can smell it.
I put cappings in the warmer and when they come out I wash them keeping the first wash to make syrup if I’m not using invert.

 

[Moobee]

i use english feeders and usually place over the central feed hole in a crown board

last few years i have found most hives struggle to find the feed when i place the feeder over the central hole in the abelo cb as the square ridge makes the feeder slightly too far for the bees to find the feed

despite trickling etc...this year not one of 6 hives managed to find the feed. I have now replaced with wooden CBs and they are all taking it down

the new abelo CBs with the annoying multiple circular holes in the CB, have been ok and bees fed fine

I had the same problem last year

has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it....was wondering about cutting the central ridge out!

Have you tried trickling some of the feed in through the hole before you put the feeder on?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Have you tried trickling some of the feed in through the hole before you put the feeder on?

yes i have....as i said, despite trickling....but...last couple of years they have eventually found it and then consumed rapidly

i switched CBs this year to get it in before temps drop

 

[user 819]

Try a bit of thymol solution in to the feed.

 

[hallshoney]

i use english feeders and usually place over the central feed hole in a crown board

last few years i have found most hives struggle to find the feed when i place the feeder over the central hole in the abelo cb as the square ridge makes the feeder slightly too far for the bees to find the feed

despite trickling etc...this year not one of 6 hives managed to find the feed. I have now replaced with wooden CBs and they are all taking it down

the new abelo CBs with the annoying multiple circular holes in the CB, have been ok and bees fed fine

I had the same problem last year

has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it....was wondering about cutting the central ridge out!

i use english feeders and usually place over the central feed hole in a crown board

last few years i have found most hives struggle to find the feed when i place the feeder over the central hole in the abelo cb as the square ridge makes the feeder slightly too far for the bees to find the feed

despite trickling etc...this year not one of 6 hives managed to find the feed. I have now replaced with wooden CBs and they are all taking it down

the new abelo CBs with the annoying multiple circular holes in the CB, have been ok and bees fed fine

I had the same problem last year

has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it....was wondering about cutting the central ridge out!

Have tried putting small stick down the centre hole then dribble syrup down it bees will use it like a ladder

 

[Poly Hive]

If a bit of kit fails to work for you dump it and make something that does. KISS

PH