# building a feeder for TBH



## muddymom (Nov 17, 2012)

ok Ive watched all the u-tube videos, gone online and researched varied types of feeders. I am putting it into a top bar hive and am realy considering just a platform with a one gallon baggy full of syrup. easy to change out , no chance of breaking it carrying it out, etc.
anyone have ideas on this
I will be using a different type for winter feeding-any suggestions on that?
am newbe keeper- first bees mid May--wet spring nothing really even blooming yet-zone 5b:scratch:


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

As I recall, you built your hive in the kitchen,  so since you have the tools available, consider modifying a follower board to accept a boardman style feeder.

A boardman feeder is an upturned jar style feeder. You can either buy an existing feeder base and cut a slot in a follower board to fit, or make the whole thing yourself. 

You can also make a suitable plug for the slot so you can use the follower board for its original purpose without the feeder.


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## chr157y (Feb 14, 2013)

We use a baby chick feeder with some sticks floating in it, at the suggestion of a member a local beekeeping club. It's working great. You can screw in a mason jar or spaghetti sauce jar.


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## plcnut (Mar 8, 2013)

I simply took a piece of 1x6 about 6" long and beveled both edges to match the sides of my hive, and then cut a hole with a jig saw the size of a jar lid. The board sits about 3/4" from the bottom of the hives. I also have the followers stopped 1" from the bottom. They are easy to refill, and can be placed anywhere in hive.


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## dux (Feb 18, 2012)

I used to use plastic entrance feeder that i had rigged up under a modified follower board as Rader suggested, but it seemed to leak an awful lot and was difficult to refill without making a mess. 
The easiest/most economical solution I have found is a small bucket full of syrup with pine needles floating in it (i now just use the plastic bucket from the above mentioned feeder) if you have a screened bottom board, you may need to cut a square of plywood with angled edges (like picnut said) to hold it off of the screen. 
dead simple, very effective, cheap.


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## TheGeneralsBees (Feb 17, 2013)

I prefer the simple feeder recommended by Wyatt Magnum in his book _Top-Bar Beekeeping: Wisdom and Pleasure Combined_, a simple small garbage pail with some sticks floating in it. I added some screen on the inside so the bees have a better surface to walk down, it is very effective in stopping them from falling in.


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