winter feeding

[Walrus]

I deleted posts that strayed way off the OP and none of it seemed very helpful for those looking for info about beekeeping.

 

[maz0]

Anyone tried making the english feeder or the version which has the feeding slope on the one side out of wood? Wondering if the joints can be sealed enough to prevent leakage?

 

[BMH]

Anyone tried making the english feeder or the version which has the feeding slope on the one side out of wood? Wondering if the joints can be sealed enough to prevent leakage?

For the cost of a poly feeder and associated insulation benefits, I'm not sure I would bother. It would eventually leak anyway.

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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Anyone tried making the english feeder or the version which has the feeding slope on the one side out of wood? Wondering if the joints can be sealed enough to prevent leakage?

The English feeder is in fact just a copy (in plastic) of the original Brother Adam feeder which was a wooden tray with a centre drilled wooden pyramid in the middle covered with a small pudding basin - so yes

 

[maz0]

For the cost of a poly feeder and associated insulation benefits, I'm not sure I would bother. It would eventually leak anyway.

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Considered that but then realised I don’t really need the insulation benefits of feeders, supers or 2nd brood boxes. Syrup for spring and pre-winter. Fondant for over winter... The Maisemore feeder is £26 each. I’ve got 10-20 to buy for next year. Not paying those prices! I will endeavour to DIY something.

 

[maz0]

The English feeder is in fact just a copy (in plastic) of the original Brother Adam feeder which was a wooden tray with a centre drilled wooden pyramid in the middle covered with a small pudding basin - so yes

Cheers just reading up on the Bro Adam one now.

 

[BMH]

Considered that but then realised I don’t really need the insulation benefits (of feeders, supers or 2nd brood boxes). Syrup for spring and pre-winter. Fondant for over winter... The Maisemore feeder is £26 each. I’ve got 10-20 to buy for next year. Not paying those prices! I will endeavour to DIY something.

Why dont you need the benefits?

I bought 50 x swienty poly feeders last year for £18 each inc VAT.

Once you factor in time, I certainly couldn't make a satisfactory equivalent for less than £15 per unit

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[maz0]

Why dont you need the benefits?

I bought 50 x swienty poly feeders last year for £18 each inc VAT.

Once you factor in time, I certainly couldn't make a satisfactory equivalent for less than £15 per unit

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Because the insulative benefits are mostly required over winter where I will only be using poly floor/brood/roof. The rest of the time, spring/summer/autumn the bees should be strong enough to maintain hive temps fine. I mean they do it in full wooden hives so mixed wooden/poly pieces during these times should be fine. I can DIY any wooden part, but I cant DIY poly....

I don’t factor time into my DIY stuff, its just not relevant. It’s like saying you could be getting your hourly wage all that time, which isn’t realistic. Even if I could, would I rather be enjoying some DIY or sitting in the office. Plus my missus helps me so its good family time. I’m sure I could easily beat £15 per feeder.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Now sold out

I guessed as much when they knocked my order for 15 down to 14!

 

[BMH]

Because the insulative benefits are mostly required over winter where I will only be using poly floor/brood/roof. The rest of the time, spring/summer/autumn the bees should be strong enough to maintain hive temps fine. I mean they do it in full wooden hives so mixed wooden/poly pieces during these times should be fine. I can DIY any wooden part, but I cant DIY poly....

I don’t factor time into my DIY stuff, its just not relevant. It’s like saying you could be getting your hourly wage all that time, which isn’t realistic. Even if I could, would I rather be enjoying some DIY or sitting in the office. Plus my missus helps me so its good family time. I’m sure I could easily beat £15 per feeder.

Hmm. I think the benefits of poly feeders over winter, feeding fondant and syrup are quite significant. Not to say they wont survive with a wooden feeder but the thermal efficiency of the hive will be reduced. They would also be more likely to access the feeder in cooler weather which is great for late feeding and winter fondant feeding


Ok. Take away the time element/cost, I still think it would be a challenge once you factor in whole life costs. Poly feeders should last 25 years plus. Homemade and sealed wooden feeders certainly wouldn't last 10 years so there's the cost of replacement and additional time to take into account.

If you do go ahead and make them, please post pictures. I'd be very interested in the design and material choices.

I'm certainly an advocate of keeping things cheap and mixing and matching wood and poly but there are certain items that I believe arent worth the hassle, feeders being one of them.

Re. the hourly wage, I must be sad, but I do exactly that. Work out my hourly wage and unless I enjoy doing something then I work out how much I am paying myself to do it and do a cost benefit analysis. For me buying poly @ £200 for 10 feeders or to make them and save maybe a £100, with all the potential future headaches is a no brainer.



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[Poly Hive]

Insulation benefits the colony all the year round maz0 Brood temp is 34C and our bonny climate is usually around 18- 20 in the summer.... think about it.

Pre the single wall hives the common hive up here was double wall... learn from history or repeat the mistakes as they say.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The Maisemore feeder is £26 each. I’ve got 10-20 to buy for next year.

That's the Maisemore jumbo rapid feeder, good but massive and ungainly, you need the smaller one which Maisies call the plain 'jumbo feeder' which has the feeder cone to one end and is still six quid dearer than the almost identical Thornes English feeder.

 

[maz0]

Insulation benefits the colony all the year round maz0 Brood temp is 34C and our bonny climate is usually around 18- 20 in the summer.... think about it.

Pre the single wall hives the common hive up here was double wall... learn from history or repeat the mistakes as they say.

PH

I’ve got the gubbins now to set up some hives for monitoring so I plan to do several over winter and next year. Will monitor for temps/humidity and lots of other things so will hopefully see if there is any scientific basis for discounting wooden supers/feeders in a poly hive!

 

[BMH]

I’ve got the gubbins now to set up some hives for monitoring so I plan to do several over winter and next year. Will monitor for temps/humidity and lots of other things so will hopefully see if there is any scientific basis for discounting wooden supers/feeders in a poly hive!

Be really interesting. For me, the data that would be most interesting is efficiency of feed i.e. do non insulated hives require more feed to maintain hive temperature.

What gubbins are you using?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Be really interesting. For me, the data that would be most interesting is efficiency of feed i.e. do non insulated hives require more feed to maintain hive temperature.

What gubbins are you using?

Derek Mitchell has done lots of work on this very subject
Well insulated colonies do indeed eat less over winter

 

[maz0]

Be really interesting. For me, the data that would be most interesting is efficiency of feed i.e. do non insulated hives require more feed to maintain hive temperature.

What gubbins are you using?

It will be raspberry pi based. Got several temp sensors for inside the hives, and some others including a weather station which will be situated beside them. I am currently digging the trench to my hives/bee shed at the moment to lay power and ethernet so I can get it all connected up. I’ll stick a post up when I make some progress!

 

[BMH]

It will be raspberry pi based. Got several temp sensors for inside the hives, and some others including a weather station which will be situated beside them. I am currently digging the trench to my hives/bee shed at the moment to lay power and ethernet so I can get it all connected up. I’ll stick a post up when I make some progress!

Sounds amazing. Some weight data before/after feeding and throughout the year would be very complementary to temp/humidity etc

Got to love a Raspberry PI

 

[maz0]

Sounds amazing. Some weight data before/after feeding and throughout the year would be very complementary to temp/humidity etc

Got to love a Raspberry PI

good idea! will add it to the list.

 

[XYZ]

good idea! will add it to the list.

Really cool idea with the Pi. You're making me want to blow the dust off mine and put it to good use. Would be very interested in seeing the results of your experiment.

 

[Poly Hive]

Just love reinventing the wheel.

All of this was done in the 50's at Craibstone.

PH