Plastic Feeders

[masterBK]

A couple of our members asked me at our January meeting yesterday if the so called "English Feeders" being sold by T in their winter sale were worth getting . They are 12 for £80 in their sale which seems cheap. I have no experience of using these plastic rapid feeders so would be glad of any valuable feedback from people who have used them which I can then pass on.

I use 2 gallon wooden Miller feeders that I have been using for over 30 years (and which need regular waterproofing to stop them leaking ) along with 15 litre plastic buckets with lids that I converted into contact feeders by burning small holes in the lids.

 

[drex]

I know that a lot on here have disagreed in the past but, I have found that T's drop in feeders are very good, since they were modified. You need an eke for them. Only about £3.50 in the sale, however when I tried to buy 3, 3 hours after the sale had started, they were out of stock.

 

[oliver90owner]

My feelings are that they may be OK as long as one doesn't need to remove them while still substantially full.

Half full Ashforths (home made) are bad enough in this respect.

I certainly cannot see them lasting thirty years. My timber feeders were painted inside with flexible ceiling paint and are still good after ten years (although they have not been used in anger for at least five years).

These may need some 'roughening up' to provide a grippy surface (like a lot of plastic entry feeders), but as I have no personal wish to own even one I will leave it to others, who may have tried them or similar, to comment further.

 

[Cazza]

I can't see why they wouldn't be fine to use. I have some of the original version of these from around 3-4 years ago. This version has the feed hold at the edge rather than in the middle which I think the "English" version has.
Mine are perfectly useful. Can't see them wearing out unless the plastic degrades. Just don't try to move them when they are full!
Cazza

 

[itma]

A couple of our members asked me at our January meeting yesterday if the so called "English Feeders" being sold by T in their winter sale were worth getting . They are 12 for £80 in their sale which seems cheap. I have no experience of using these plastic rapid feeders so would be glad of any valuable feedback from people who have used them which I can then pass on.

It needs to sit on a strongish feeder board (cover board with central hole).
But it has a lot of contact area with the board.
So, to minimise squashed bees, it is best to accurately place the feeder on the board BEFORE putting the board on the hive. Then fill with syrup, then fit the eke/super and roof.
I've encountered them at the Association apiary, not lived with them.

Because its only a "rapid feeder" with a largish rectangular tank, it doesn't have the length of "beach-front" that you get on an Ashforth (and a Miller has twice as much as an Ashforth).
Thus the number of bees that can simultaneously 'tank-up' is relatively low, and so the maximum rate at which feed can be taken down is relatively slow.
It is relatively shallow, so its capacity isn't vast. But as Cazza notes, don't think of moving it when its full!
Cheap though.

I think there was one report on here of the somewhat similar green thing from Maisie's warping (was it the lid that warped?) But it is a different product (on its own beespace legs) and I've not heard of that with T's product

I'm actually wondering about trying one or two of ITLD's National Ashworth-style poly feeders (from CWJ) next autumn.

 

[garlicpickle]

I have one and used it for my bees autumn feed. It holds a gallon. It is quite flimsy feeling and definitely not manoeuverable when full. I used it inside a spare empty super as I didn't have an eke at the time.
I added thymol to their autumn syrup and the plastic cover cone has gone dull looking as a result. I had some problems with the holes in the cone getting blocked with sugar crystals, although I think this may have been my fault for not dissolving them enough. But if the syrup isn't going down as fast as you would expect it's worth checking it isn't crusted up with sugar.

Both the inner cone and the cover cone are pre-roughened for grip.

 

[rockdoc]

Put 4 of these feeders into use this Autumn gone. With due regard to the observations above, they work well and will (if needed) be put on this Autumn again. Worth the money? Yes.

 

[beebopalula]

They are made of brittle, fragile plastic and need careful handling but good value at that price. Ma*s*more design is better - does not need an eke and syrup taken down twice as fast.

 

[Suzi Q]

I have some and used them last autumn, and there was no problem with them. I bought 3 more in the sales.

 

[masterBK]

Some useful advice which I can pass on . Many thanks to everyone that responded.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I've got a couple of these.

It seems a bit obvious to say that the hive has to be level for the bees to use all of the syrup. Any tilt and, when it's beginning to empty, the syrup can be inaccessible.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It is quite flimsy feeling and definitely not manoeuverable

is that why they call it 'English' ?

I think there was one report on here of the somewhat similar green thing from Maisie's warping (was it the lid that warped?) But it is a different product (on its own beespace legs)

You're thinking of the maisie moores 3 gallon rapid feeders - not warping in situ but a few years they had a load of seconds on sale for a tenner each (usually about £25.00) because the lids were slightly warped - I bought some and the warps disappeared after a week or two under a plywood 6" roof, they are really heavy to move (and wobble all over the place) when full, are the same size as a national super so don't need an eke, and have two large feed holes.

But we're talking Fawns English feeders here used them last winter, no problem so I've bought a few more to make up the free postage price this year (still forgot to order the galvanised runners I needed though!!) fit nicely inside a super on top of a crown board and good for a quick spring feed or whatever when you don't want a big tub of syrup on top of the hive.

. I had some problems with the holes in the cone getting blocked with sugar crystals

if you're talking of the cover cone - that shouldn't make much difference to the bees feeding, they're basically just there for ventilation

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It seems a bit obvious to say that the hive has to be level for the bees to use all of the syrup. Any tilt and, when it's beginning to empty, the syrup can be inaccessible.

yes, but as soon as the level drops below the bottom of the cone cover they sem to be able to squeeze under into the reservoir chamber and mop whatever's left up - so the main lid on the feeder is a must.

 

[garlicpickle]

if you're talking of the cover cone - that shouldn't make much difference to the bees feeding, they're basically just there for ventilation

I didn't mean the holes in the top of the cover cone, I meant the "notches" round the edge of it, the ones that allow syrup from the main reservoir into the covered bit lol

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I didn't mean the holes in the top of the cover cone, I meant the "notches" round the edge of it, the ones that allow syrup from the main reservoir into the covered bit lol

Ah - got you now, I was a bit confused before!

 

[garlicpickle]

Ah - got you now, I was a bit confused before!

So was I - I actually went to the shed to check for holes in the top

 

[drstitson]

As per above the MM one is excellent - no CB needed and larger with 2 feed spouts. can often be picked up cheap in the sale too.

 

[alanf]

I have a couple, and quite a few in use around the association.

Main advantage, I think, is that they're a good capacity but need less storage space than a full box ashforth/miller. They are sized to sit in an empty national super over a central hole cover board. Designed to work well with the standard national boxes that the big suppliers sell; the previous offset holed ones were not aligned with the national feeder/escape/cover boards. These sit flat, so bees are excluded for level check/refills but the clear dome shows how active they are feeding. Wasps squeezing in under the roof are also less of a problem with the lid on. Easy to clean in a kitchen sink, too. Probably best regarded as a 6 litre version of the smaller circular rapid which won't need refilling every day.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I've bought a few more to make up the free postage price this year (still forgot to order the galvanised runners I needed though!!

Which runners do you use?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Which runners do you use?

Galvanised metal runners for the broods (Don't like the plastic ones - I cut them up for my nucs) but never mind, I have to put an order in to CWJ before long so I'll append it to that. (I do like to spread my custom around - muddies the waters a bit for SWMBO!)