The gap around the hole in rapid feeders

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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!!!

 

[Luminos]

They're London Underground feeders.
Mind the Gap...

 

[Erichalfbee]

My feeder boards all now match the feeders above and it has made a difference, you're right.
I even have a sheet of ply under my one and only Maise's green feeder.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I even have a sheet of ply under my one and only Maise's green feeder.

I have quite a few of them - the first couple only cost a tenner each (apparently slightly flawed as the lids had warped! I bought them just to see what they were all about and there was nothing a day under a hive roof wouldn't cure, when i saw them, I liked them but silly me had blabbed to the forum about the bargain price - when I called up for more they were sold out, but they were reduced in the conventions a feew years ago so i managed to get a few more, but at £23.00 a pop i think i'll just make do with the English ones

 

[Tim.S]

Must say my experience with the maisey green monsters has been nothing but good. My little girls empty them in 4 or 5 days no trouble and they were in the feeders this year before the lid was back on. I use that horrible stuff that a certain finnish gentleman reckons is a waste of money (shame on me!) and they seem to take it much more quickly than sugar syrup. I also think that it helps that the feeders are now a few years old and obviously smell better for the bees. ( I should add I always dribble some syrup down the holes just in case ).

 

[Illo]

I have a Maisie's 'BFO' green feeder for each of eight colonies; typically we feed them all then go on hols for a couple of weeks and leave them to it. The only time there have ever been difficulties with bees getting up into the feeder was when I tried to feed at the same time as doing an apiguard treatment. As soon as the apiguard was off, the bees took the whole lot down in a few days.

This year...the problem has been that the girls have back-filled the underside and the aperture of the cones with comb, stuck the whole lot down to the top of the frames and then filled the wild comb with syrup. A right bl**dy unholy mess to sort out when the feeders came off! and to say that the bees were a little dischuffed with the intrusion is something of an understatement.

Anyway, to cut to the chase...I was thinking seriously about a foam filler and aluminium tape bodge to stop this happening again. Has anyone else fixed the problem in any elegant and at least semi-permanent way?

Washing the feeders in the bath this week did not make me popular.

LJ

 

[Tim.S]

Blimey in the bath? I would be in a divorce court if I tried that! I take it that you didn't get in the bath at the same time. .....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Washing the feeders in the bath this week did not make me popular.
LJ

Should have let him get out first!

 

[Illo]

Blimey in the bath? I would be in a divorce court if I tried that! I take it that you didn't get in the bath at the same time. .....

What, with eight feeders? How big do you think my bath is?

 

[Davelin]

Anyway, to cut to the chase...I was thinking seriously about a foam filler and aluminium tape bodge to stop this happening again. Has anyone else fixed the problem in any elegant and at least semi-permanent way?



LJ

I have filled the underside of all mine with expanding foam. It seems to have stuck securely and has solved the issue for me. It remains to be seen how they stand the test of time.