- Joined
- Mar 30, 2011
- Messages
- 37,369
- Reaction score
- 17,740
- Location
- Glanaman,Carmarthenshire,Wales
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- Too many - but not nearly enough
There's been a bit of talk about this recently which got me thinking (usually takes a sharp rap on the back of the head with a cricket bat so it must be serious!) about the empty space around the entrance to a rapid feeder - the reason they're there is just convenience for the manufacturer - single vacuuum moulded piece of plastic - to fill that gap wuld mean the feeders would be a lot more expensive.
I have four types of rapid feeder: The bog standard three pint feeders which are good for a quick 'kick start feed of fite nicely on top of a nuc - the flatter larger diameter 3 pint feeders (a few bought from curiosity in an on line sale with no photograph, and some auction 50p bargains) the 6 litre English feeder (a rebranded brother Adam feeder thus of mixed progeny neither one thing nor the other, very polite but thinks it rules the world
) and the BFO Maise Moores feeder which holds 2 1/2 gallons.
Last season when using the Maisie's feeders I noticed that the bees were very reluctant to go up and take the syrup. Eventually I decided i must have messed up the thymol mix therefore took the feeders off and tried a new batch sans thymol (clumsily spilling a load of the syrup into the hedge which I then noticed the bees taking greedily)As i was trying smaller quantities the English feeders went on and the bees had no trouble taking the feed.
This year as I didn't have enough of either large feeder to cover all the hives i started the first batch with English feeders - again they were into the feed in a thrice.
So what was the difference?
The holes in my feeder boards match the holes in the smaller feeders.
The Maisies feeders sit directly on the hive - no feeder boards or ekes needed. Thus great big inch and a half gap bewitxt the entrance and the rest of the 'roof' - not even a little thin bridge such as on the 3 pint feeders. So, the same as others have noticed IT MUST BE THE GAP.
The only feeders i had left to put on the association apiary hives today were Maisies ones so before putting them on I decided to cover the gap with an application of gaffer tape (I have a large stock now thanks to a cheapo bargain bulk buy in the Royal Welsh Show) and guess what? the bees went straight up, no messing. Not conclusive, and I'm not going to bugger about with a controlled experiment (being a beekeeper and lunatic, not a scientist) But all my Maisies feeders are now going to get the gaffer tape treatment.
Maybe the wood turners on here can now make something practical such as a conical hollow cored plug to fill in their feeders instead of the usual 'treen tat' which they infuriate the other half by cluttering up mantel pieces and sideboards with.
Maybe the big producers can sell little plastic discs to shut up these gaps I'm sure they'll sell a few to the OCD bekeepers who'd rather pay a few pence so their feeders look tidier than tape!.
Anyway, something to think about.
A bit of along post which will test the attention span of some forumites but tough! at least you can exercise your atrophed reading (and thinking) skills - feel free to pick holes/expand on the subject - i'll just compose a draft i Quit post in reply!!!
I have four types of rapid feeder: The bog standard three pint feeders which are good for a quick 'kick start feed of fite nicely on top of a nuc - the flatter larger diameter 3 pint feeders (a few bought from curiosity in an on line sale with no photograph, and some auction 50p bargains) the 6 litre English feeder (a rebranded brother Adam feeder thus of mixed progeny neither one thing nor the other, very polite but thinks it rules the world
) and the BFO Maise Moores feeder which holds 2 1/2 gallons.Last season when using the Maisie's feeders I noticed that the bees were very reluctant to go up and take the syrup. Eventually I decided i must have messed up the thymol mix therefore took the feeders off and tried a new batch sans thymol (clumsily spilling a load of the syrup into the hedge which I then noticed the bees taking greedily)As i was trying smaller quantities the English feeders went on and the bees had no trouble taking the feed.
This year as I didn't have enough of either large feeder to cover all the hives i started the first batch with English feeders - again they were into the feed in a thrice.
So what was the difference?
The holes in my feeder boards match the holes in the smaller feeders.
The Maisies feeders sit directly on the hive - no feeder boards or ekes needed. Thus great big inch and a half gap bewitxt the entrance and the rest of the 'roof' - not even a little thin bridge such as on the 3 pint feeders. So, the same as others have noticed IT MUST BE THE GAP.
The only feeders i had left to put on the association apiary hives today were Maisies ones so before putting them on I decided to cover the gap with an application of gaffer tape (I have a large stock now thanks to a cheapo bargain bulk buy in the Royal Welsh Show) and guess what? the bees went straight up, no messing. Not conclusive, and I'm not going to bugger about with a controlled experiment (being a beekeeper and lunatic, not a scientist
) But all my Maisies feeders are now going to get the gaffer tape treatment.Maybe the wood turners on here can now make something practical such as a conical hollow cored plug to fill in their feeders instead of the usual 'treen tat' which they infuriate the other half by cluttering up mantel pieces and sideboards with
.Maybe the big producers can sell little plastic discs to shut up these gaps I'm sure they'll sell a few to the OCD bekeepers who'd rather pay a few pence so their feeders look tidier than tape!.
Anyway, something to think about.
A bit of along post which will test the attention span of some forumites but tough! at least you can exercise your atrophed reading (and thinking) skills - feel free to pick holes/expand on the subject - i'll just compose a draft i Quit post in reply!!!
