Using a washing up bowl as a feeder!

[mhill20]

Hi All
Does anyone use washing up bowls as feeders, if so how do you do it. How do you stop the bees from drowning,what do you use as a float on the syrup surface!!

Mick

 

[Nic Rhodes]

plenty of straw is what is needed

 

[Queens59]

Cat litter trays do well too!

 

[iand]

Know a guy who has used cat 2 littered trays stacked in a super. Work OK

 

[JamezF]

I know of people who use washing up bowls as feeders and I've done it myself when I found I was short of feeders in an emergency. I rubbed the inside surface of the bowl with sandpaper to roughen it and used the polystyrene base from the packaging of a plastic pizza as a float.

James

 

[fiftyjon]

Fed my colonies in the autumn using washing up bowls with plenty of straw inside. The bowls took about 9 litres of syrup and the bees took it all down within a week. The side feeding slot was used in the crown board with an eke around the bowl and the roof straight on top the eke. Didn't see one drowned bee.
Very successful, it saves time messing about with small feeders and expense purchasing miller/ashforth feeders.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Fed my colonies in the autumn using washing up bowls with plenty of straw inside. The bowls took about 9 litres of syrup and the bees took it all down within a week. The side feeding slot was used in the crown board with an eke around the bowl and the roof straight on top the eke. Didn't see one drowned bee.
Very successful, it saves time messing about with small feeders and expense purchasing miller/ashforth feeders.

Do you have a picture?

 

[tonybloke]

Do you have a picture?

of a washing up bowl?

perhaps you need to visit the kitchen more often!!

 

[victor meldrew]

of a washing up bowl?

perhaps you need to visit the kitchen more often!!

VM

 

[victor meldrew]

Do you have a picture?

Seriously, watch the German bee vids . the lass uses something similar but deployed under the colony . A simple washbowl like container filled with straw and then topped up with syrup . Nowt technical about it .
VM

 

[isc26]

bubblewrap makes a great float

 

[psafloyd]

Warre hive beekeepers use a tray that has rows of corks floating on the syrup.

 

[The Cumbrian]

Warre hive beekeepers use a tray that has rows of corks floating on the syrup.

For a top bar hive I used the plastic mesh children learn embroidery with cut to the shape of the container and a few dowels stapled underneath to keep it afloat.