winter feeding

[reigate]

Can someone please give me some advice as to which type of feeder to use for
feeding syrup for winter stores.

 

[Walrus]

I'm not sure what hive type you have. I use a polystyrene top feeder like this: https://en.swienty.com/pi/Hive-Feeder-Langstroth_4002012_164622.aspx

(there will be an equivalent for National Hives & others). They need to be painted.

Too early yet, but when you do feed for winter the poly feeder can stay on - a nice bit of extra insulation. You can use a poly feeder on a wooden hive.

 

[Newbeeneil]

This is what I use, and these were the cheapest I could find when I ordered 14 last week.
https://bee-equipment.co.uk/pages/search-results-page?q=english+feeder

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can’t really advise you but I can tell you what I do. My hives are in one of my fields five minutes from the house so I can access them daily. They are a mix of poly and wood 14x12. All have extra insulation in deep Abelo roofs. I tend to allow a can of invert per hive but that of course depends on how much honey I have left them. Presuming none ( which is rare) they get the full 10 litres. I use 2 litre round plastic rapid feeders which therefore get filled five times. I once put the whole lot in a Miller feeder when I was a beginner. The bees didn’t take it and it was a pain taking it off full.
I don’t mind visiting daily and find these really convenient
Here’s one
https://bee-equipment.co.uk/product...MIqvnN94P-4wIVibHtCh2O9Ao8EAQYASABEgL1GvD_BwE

 

[pargyle]

I can’t really advise you but I can tell you what I do. My hives are in one of my fields five minutes from the house so I can access them daily. They are a mix of poly and wood 14x12. All have extra insulation in deep Abelo roofs. I tend to allow a can of invert per hive but that of course depends on how much honey I have left them. Presuming none ( which is rare) they get the full 10 litres. I use 2 litre round plastic rapid feeders which therefore get filled five times. I once put the whole lot in a Miller feeder when I was a beginner. The bees didn’t take it and it was a pain taking it off full.
I don’t mind visiting daily and find these really convenient
Here’s one
https://bee-equipment.co.uk/product...MIqvnN94P-4wIVibHtCh2O9Ao8EAQYASABEgL1GvD_BwE

+1 .. My hives are in the garden and I can keep an eye on what they are taking down ..I top up thes same tyoe of feeder daily until they stop taking it down. I had a disaster trying to lift a full English feeder off the top of a hive ..syrup everywhere ! Never again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

1 Gallon 'English' feeder, sits nicely over the hole in a crownboard, not too heavy to handle if full.
Maisies do them but the feed hole is to one side of the tray.
Thornes sell them with the cone in the middle and sell them on ebay (cheaper in the long run)

 

[Ian123]

I simply use some 2.5l and 5litre buckets provided by a friends shop drill some holes in the lids job done.

 

[Hachi]

1 Gallon 'English' feeder, sits nicely over the hole in a crownboard, not too heavy to handle if full.
Maisies do them but the feed hole is to one side of the tray.
Thornes sell them with the cone in the middle and sell them on ebay (cheaper in the long run)

They are usually round the £8 mark for 10 in the Big T's sale

 

[Poly Hive]

For less than £8 one can buy a sheet of floormate 50mm and make ekes. I can't be bothered to work out the number but it would very likely be 4 depending on depth. Then feed fondant directly on the top bars avoiding isolation starvation into the bargain.

Feeding over crown boards is not a great idea for several reasons. Primarily cold of course.

So no messing with syrup, a far easier way to feed and higher survival rates, what's not to like?

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you feed your fondant on top of it’s plastic wrapper or straight on the frames or something else, please PH

 

[maz0]

For less than £8 one can buy a sheet of floormate 50mm and make ekes. I can't be bothered to work out the number but it would very likely be 4 depending on depth. Then feed fondant directly on the top bars avoiding isolation starvation into the bargain.

Feeding over crown boards is not a great idea for several reasons. Primarily cold of course.

So no messing with syrup, a far easier way to feed and higher survival rates, what's not to like?

PH

Does this mean the differences (benefits or not) of using syrup are now lost though? I’ve read various points about 1:1 in spring for brood rearing and 2:2 in winter for stores etc, so by taking this no-feeder approaching are you losing this? I would quite happily do without them, just another expense I can avoid!

 

[BMH]

Does this mean the differences (benefits or not) of using syrup are now lost though? I’ve read various points about 1:1 in spring for brood rearing and 2:2 in winter for stores etc, so by taking this no-feeder approaching are you losing this? I would quite happily do without them, just another expense I can avoid!

Also 2 points from me:

1. When they are literally starving, only syrup will do. Fondant wont provide the sugars quick enough.

2. Its a hell of a lot more expensive.

I do prefer to feed fondant in all circumstances though. Made life so much easier last year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Feeding over crown boards is not a great idea for several reasons. Primarily cold of course.
PH

By the time it gets that cold any sensible beekeeper would have finished feeding

Does this mean the differences (benefits or not) of using syrup are now lost though? I’ve read various points about 1:1 in spring for brood rearing and 2:2 in winter for stores etc, so by taking this no-feeder approaching are you losing this? I would quite happily do without them, just another expense I can avoid!

1:1 in spring and 2:1 in autumn is a load of tosh. Never seen the need for a 'stimulative feed' in the spring although there may be some benefits in OSR country

 

[Erichalfbee]

1:1 in spring and 2:1 in autumn is a load of tosh. Never seen the need for a 'stimulative feed' in the spring although there may be some benefits in OSR country

If my bees need feeding they get Invert or my rough and ready 2:1

 

[Beefriendly]

Also 2 points from me:

1. When they are literally starving, only syrup will do. Fondant wont provide the sugars quick enough.
.

IIRC my old bee biology, bees can only metabolise (use) sugars at concentrations of 50% or less. The osmotic pressure exerted by more concentrated solutions in the digestive tract means they would lose water, as opposed to taking it and the sugars inwards....so 1:1 (or less) is good for emergency feeding as immediately usable. Anything higher they need to collect water to dilute it before it it is usable to them.
Worthy of note that many of the "feed fondant only" are north of the border where there is a lot of water precipitation...The bees need to collect water to dissolve the fondant in order to store it.

 

[BMH]

Yep.

I'm a fan but you need to plan ahead if feeding fondant only and keep a good buffer of stores at all times.

Also found syrup is the only real way of getting a decent dose of thymol into them to combat nosema

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yep.



Also found syrup is the only real way of getting a decent dose of thymol into them to combat nosema

Thanks for the reminder
I need to make some premix

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks for the reminder
I need to make some premix

I must remember to order a pallet of invert as well

 

[Hachi]

I have an IBC ready to collect in the next 10 days

 

[For want of a better word]

This is what I use, and these were the cheapest I could find when I ordered 14 last week.
https://bee-equipment.co.uk/pages/search-results-page?q=english+feeder

Now sold out!

Could have done with another 40... last lot came from China... £6.28 each,,, which goes to show what small / large profit margins some of the bee equipment suppliers work on !