Paynes Nucleus leaking syrup

[vjay]

Made a split on Friday using a brand new Paynes Nuc it was painted on the outside with at least five coats of Garden shades including the base and feet. The inside of the feeder section I used the same paint but mixed with sand and gave it three coats. Today I went to see how they were doing, and could see drips underneath and a stain on the side, tasted the drips and it was syrup leaching through the side. Weather brightened and cue masses of bees from another colony 30m away clustering on the sides and possibly now entering and robbing from the nuc. I ended up swapping the split over to another new nucleus painted the same as above, unnecessarily disturbing them but haven't dared put any syrup in the feeder section. Going to have to top feed instead, has anyone else had this problem? I have seen an older thread where it was suggested coating the feeder section with PVA? I'm reluctant to buy extra supers/ekes and small top feeders for future splits.

 

[Garry R]

I had the same with a Swienty polystyrene feeder some years ago and the wasps loved it!! The syrup literally oozed through the walls. Now I make my own Miller feeders in wood and paint the inside of the reservoir with several coats of gloss paint and have no problems.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Made a split on Friday using a brand new Paynes Nuc it was painted on the outside with at least five coats of Garden shades including the base and feet. The inside of the feeder section I used the same paint but mixed with sand and gave it three coats. Today I went to see how they were doing, and could see drips underneath and a stain on the side, tasted the drips and it was syrup leaching through the side. Weather brightened and cue masses of bees from another colony 30m away clustering on the sides and possibly now entering and robbing from the nuc. I ended up swapping the split over to another new nucleus painted the same as above, unnecessarily disturbing them but haven't dared put any syrup in the feeder section. Going to have to top feed instead, has anyone else had this problem? I have seen an older thread where it was suggested coating the feeder section with PVA? I'm reluctant to buy extra supers/ekes and small top feeders for future splits.

I've never had a leaking Paynes but if you're going to paint the inside of the feeder as waterproofing use a gloss paint.

 

[madasafish]

Easy solution . Clean out feeder, Thoroughly. with warm water and a kitchen pot cleaning brush.
Melt lots of beeswax - pour into feeder, Ensure all surfaces - especially near the bottom are covered with a thin layer. (this requires a plan to do one side at a time... as the wax will quickly congeal.)

No beeswax? Candle wax will do - you will need lots of candles and it is HIGHLY inflammable. So bain marie job.

I do this to all my home made frame feeders- wooden and plastic - with 100% success.

 

[vjay]

Many thanks for the responses I have plenty of beeswax so will try coating the inside of the feeder sections of a couple of the boxes with this so they are ready to go if needed. I would gloss but with the damp drizzly weather we are currently having it could take days to get a few coats applied and dried, and as soon as I started painting I know I would need a spare box urgently.

 

[enrico]

I have never painted my Paines nucs inside or out. They have never leaked and I have been using them for eight or nine years. They were the original ones they brought out. Feeders have never leaked.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm reluctant to buy extra supers/ekes and small top feeders for future splits.

no need - if you want to feed from the top Paynes do a purpose built top feeder for their nucs

 

[vjay]

I know they do a feeder but at £30 each I can't justify the expense at the minute, I will muddle through with a spare super and a top feeder for now.

 

[user 11159]

Made a split on Friday using a brand new Paynes Nuc it was painted on the outside with at least five coats of Garden shades including the base and feet. The inside of the feeder section I used the same paint but mixed with sand and gave it three coats. Today I went to see how they were doing, and could see drips underneath and a stain on the side, tasted the drips and it was syrup leaching through the side. Weather brightened and cue masses of bees from another colony 30m away clustering on the sides and possibly now entering and robbing from the nuc. I ended up swapping the split over to another new nucleus painted the same as above, unnecessarily disturbing them but haven't dared put any syrup in the feeder section. Going to have to top feed instead, has anyone else had this problem? I have seen an older thread where it was suggested coating the feeder section with PVA? I'm reluctant to buy extra supers/ekes and small top feeders for future split

the feeder is on sale seconds .no cover ..£19.89.plus post .i use them on 8 frame paynes nucs.the feeder sits flat on the frames the bees can not walk
under it with bottom bee space.only found this out after taking it of and found a few dead bees .so did a mod on it .to lift it up enough so bees wont get
squashed .it only slopes on the inside .maybe im missing something .

 

[Into the lions den]

Our Paynes nucs are painted inside the feeder compartment with exterior masonry paint.......still get the odd one where the painter has not done the best job...but in 95% of cases its perfect. Our biggest issue with them is, as with most UK moulded kit, that the poly is a bit 'beady'..I know it all is but they are not as tight bonded as from other sources and prone to chewingout top edges etc....so they have a moderate lifespan anyway.

Syrup leaching attracts wasps as much as anything else and they are destructive little sods..drill pits into the material to get at the leaching syrup. Its common to most poly...you need to paint where syrup lies to prevent it forcing through between the beads..

Otherwise its the most simple and basic patter for BS frames...which is ALWAYS a positive for us. Too many of the others look like they have kept notes of all the fetishist gripes at bee shows and tried to accommodate them. Over complex, too many bits, and cannot for the life of me figure why hacking out the feeder to make then 8 frame is a goer. If they need 8 they need a hive. Ditto the divide into two ones......just a faff meaning you have lots of moving into bigger units to do.

Simplicity is beautiful to us.

 

[ericbeaumont]

If they need 8 they need a hive

Yes, and for similar reasons the Abelo 12-frame is also fiddling: if they need more than 11 frames, give another box.