Why are my bees drowning?

[MerryBee]

I havent used a poly miller feeder from maisemore, but generally it is advised to paint the inside of a poly feeder. When I did this, using smooth masonry paint, it was obvious that the bees couldnt grip the surface and i had some drowned bees. So I recoated the part where the bees walk with paint mixed with sand and it solved the problem.

Sorry, not relevant to the plastic "english feeders" used by the OP.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have had similar problems with drowning bees in an English feeder, 30-40 bees over a couple of days.
I, like Merry, have decided to give the bees extra grip.
Because the feeder is plastic I decided that a water based paint would peel off so I used a spray paint and sprinkled a kiln dried sand into the wet material. They seem to be coping better but time will tell!

 

[itsbruce]

This is the same kind of feeder that I'm using.

I have that same flat tray feeder. I've found that if I start by pouring a little syrup directly onto the top of the transparent cup, it gives the bees some notice that something's happening. I guess some of them head upwards just because there's some syrup dripping through the small holes in the top of the cup.

That and taking time to pour in a couple of smaller stages first, rather than all at once, seems to mean no drowned bees for me.

Also, if you wait till the feed is all gone before refilling, rather than topping up, it's easier to see if the cup is firmly in place.

 

[alfazer]

I have had similar problems with drowning bees in an English feeder, 30-40 bees over a couple of days.
I, like Merry, have decided to give the bees extra grip.
Because the feeder is plastic I decided that a water based paint would peel off so I used a spray paint and sprinkled a kiln dried sand into the wet material. They seem to be coping better but time will tell!

I've stuck drylining mesh jointing tape on my wooden miller feeder and works very well for providing the bees with grip.

 

[beeno]

Hi Compost Kid et al, Feeding for a couple of weeks without casualties and all of a sudden some dead bees in the soup. Nothing has changed apart from colder nights which means colder syrup feed. Bees are capable of sitting upside down on a piece of glass, so my suggestion is that their body temperature drops as they are away from the cluster drinking cold syrup. Perhaps they are a bit old and tired as well and go torpid. We had the same situation on Maisemore poly nucs a couple of years ago when I thought mine were alright and then they drowned as well. I always serve my syrup warm.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Just thought I would add a picture to my comments about making the feeder easier for bees to use without drowning. I sprayed the feeder with a startard spray paint and sprinkled 0.4-0.8mm dried grit into the surface.
I was getting 20 dead bees per day in the feeder..... it's now none.
Hope this helps.

 

[REDIMP]

Hi there, I have found exactly the same thing and have got drowned bees in the Rapid feeders and have put it down to the bees getting into the feeder through the top with a loose lid. I have now added a piece of wood on top of the lid to hold it down which seems to work ok.