Poly feeders

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BBG

Drone Bee
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
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Location
Devon & Dorset
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
Polystyrene & lots more next year again hopefully
Looking at these full width feeders in polystyrene - good idea 10 litre capacity

Does anybody have any thoughts on them or used them please.

Thanks in anticipation
 
Bought one this year (Langstroth) and was very happy with it after feeding close to 3 gallons of syrup to one colony on new undrawn plastic frames over 4 weeks.

Most important note was not one single drowned bee.
bee-smillie
 
Sounds v helpful.

Here's the link PH

It's the people in S of the county call modernsomething and full width rapid feeder is the search

thanks

Following your advice and going down the LS route PH

How do I get round that?? Or shouldn't I!!
 
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Link no good, search google with 'full width rapid feeder' comes up with the right site.
 
It's the people in S of the Devon called modernsomething and full width rapid feeder is the search to have a look

thanks for the thoughts
 
Looks like a poly version of Ashforth which are good.

I notice it has a lipped edge so will fit paradise hives but others?
 
Now perhaps here lies the rub! Are we locked in to one supplier if we spend our dosh on their products.

As we all know there are many vying for business in these straitened times.
 
I notice it has a lipped edge so will fit paradise hives but others?

The feeder has the same lip at this medium chamber from MB

POLYF.JPG
 
They look very fine, well-built solid hives
 
The trick with poly feeders is they need to be painted inside - 3 or 4 coats is needed. If you can get it in small tins acrylic gloss is ideal, Jonsons Paints do one otherwise any gloss suitable for outdoors use will do. The bit the bees walk down needs to be rough. My suggestion is to sprinkle coarse salt on the wet paint and then wash it off when everything is dry.

The poly has to be painted otherwise the syrup will soak into the body of the feeder as contrary to what you might think the poly is not totally waterproof and when syrup sits in the feeder it leaches into the body of the feeder, which slowly gets heavier. It is not a problem externally, rain water won't soak into the hive but syrup in a feeder will.

The original Canadian poly nucs were often used by squirting sugar syrup through the entrance where it sat in the bottom of the nuc and could be accessed by the bees. But for the reason given above the inside of the nuc needed to be painted.
 
OK so acrylic is the best way to go and are the feeders manufacturer specific.

Best regards
 
Or varnish. And yes some sand is a good idea.

PH

The varnish is OK? this would be very good as I can get Yacht and Seaplane varnish very cheaply - how many coats
 
One thinned by 10% as per normal and then another couple for fun.

PH
 
Thanks for the tip1
 
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