witch feeder?

[itma]

Glad this was asked as i was about to ask the same question!

I have a Nuc arriving very soon but the chap who is providing it is on holiday (so can't ask him), but before he left he said I need a feeder and best to use a cotton wick trailing over the feeder which makes sense however, (being a bit thick) Im still a bit confused as to how the feeder sits in the hive. After reading the thread I assumed an empty super was placed around it, I guess over a crown board, but now its not such a good idea???

Where does the feeder sit?? My David Cramp book says use a frame feeder!!

Different types of feeders, different story.

In a nuc box there often isn't the headroom - so a frame feeder can be very convenient. It goes in the box alongside the bees' frames. The trick is to avoid drowning bees. A wooden float in the feeder is conventional. Stuffing the thing with some means of bees climbing out isn't very unusual, whether that be plastic mesh or straw.

Contact and rapid feeders are positioned on top of the crownboard, directly above one of the 'escape' holes. With one-way bee valves (escapes) fitted, it should be called a clearer board, and strictly we are talking about using a clearer board as a feeder board - because a true crownboard shouldn't have any holes!
The simplest contact feeder is a jamjar with small (nail?) holes in its lid. I think the honey-jar lid with proper gauze insert is well worth its price of a couple of quid.
A rapid feeder is is a bowl with an access chimney up the inside. It makes more sense when you see it.
Mini rapid feeders are made specially for use in nucs. But the nuc will still likely need an eke to make enough headroom for any such feeder.


Miller and Ashforth feeders are the same footprint as the hive - they are a complete 'storey', like a super. They should normally have their own lid, so no crownboard would be needed above (or below).
Being large capacity, they would mainly be used in Autumn.

There are other types, but those are the main ones.
And beekeepers being beekeepers, lots have unconventional solutions.
The tricky bit for a beginner is to recognise what is unconventional ...

 

[Quigs]

Thanks, makes a bit more sense now! Ive been looking at a simple bucket rapid feeder. I guess this needs an empty super to surround it? I was going to go for 2 x 1 gallon buckets after reading about how much they may require feeding during this inclement weather.

 

[itma]

Thanks, makes a bit more sense now! Ive been looking at a simple bucket rapid feeder. I guess this needs an empty super to surround it? I was going to go for 2 x 1 gallon buckets after reading about how much they may require feeding during this inclement weather.

A nuc really should not require that sort of quantity at this time of year.


If you mix up more syrup than they can handle, it will rot/ferment/moulder on the hive. Not good for the bees. Money wasted. Mess to clean up.

Autumn feeding can involve larger quantities - and honey farmers with out-apiaries many miles from home don't want to be repeatedly refilling, so they want big feeders, thymol-laced syrup and few visits. Hobby beeks should be enjoying every opportunity to watch over their bees ....
A jamjar-type (mini contact feeder) is probably fine for a nuc being delivered now. Having two allows you to swap over rather than refill in situ. And you can refill/replace it twice a week if needs be. But a £5 plastic 4-pint rapid per hive is a likely Autumn minimum for any close-at-hand hive that yields a crop.

/ and yes, any 'above the crownboard' feeder is going to need an eke for extra headroom. Many rapid and contact feeders are designed to use the headroom provided by an empty super used as a feeding eke.

 

[Quigs]

Thanks again, I was thinking more long term to avoid further purchases, forgot to say Ive got two garden hives so, as Im beginning to learn that you need a spare of everthing in this hobby, best buy the two but I think I'll also get the simple jar lid type aswell for a couple of £'s.

 

[oliver90owner]

Ive been looking at a simple bucket rapid feeder.

An inverted bucket type feeder is a contact feeder, not a rapid feeder. Rapid feeders are best for a new starter. Large contact feeders can easily flood the hive.

 

[Quigs]

Well spotted

I think, as Ive got a 10% discount voucher, Im going to get a rapid feeder, couple of contact bucket feeders and a jar lid...what the hell!