# Hive Top Feeder...With or Without Inner Cover????



## VirginiaMan (Dec 28, 2010)

Hi - With a hive top feeder, do I use my inner cover or not? Danant's catalogue says "Yes" - Beekeeping for Dummies says "No". - Which is it? I'm sooooo confused! New beekeeper here - I pick up my packages tomorrow....HELP!


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Put it on...

You can take it off later if you want... 

I hope this helps.


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## n1rcv (Dec 8, 2010)

The important thing is that bees from outside hive does not have access to the syrup in the feeder.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Either way. I don't have any inner covers and I use top feeders.


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

1. There are few absolutes in most things about beekeeping. But you will get many absolute answers.

2. If it really matters, all the sources will agree(mostly agree)!

3. Start thinking about your bees and how they would live without you. 
That is a good guide of what not to do.

4. Bees do great inspite of the many things we do to them.

My daughter is an wildlife Vet. Had someone bring in their very large special South American spider.
Client say they noticed it had mites so they sprayed the mites with Raid.
They were afraid the spider was sick because it was acting strange.
By the time she got, she told them it was acting dead!


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Reminds me of stories of putting insecticides and miticides in beehives!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Who puts insecticides in their hives? You do know there is a difference, don't you?


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

I use a screened cover on top of the hive top feeder, it keeps other bees and insects out and provides some ventilation. Is it required, probably not.


http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/Beegood_01/feeders002.jpg


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

VirginiaMan said:


> Hi - With a hive top feeder, do I use my inner cover or not? Dadant's catalogue says "Yes"


 of course it does, one more thing to make the newbees think they got to buy to be successful :lookout:


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## RickD (Oct 24, 2010)

Logic tells me that one has to have a positive ventilation flow for the increasingly warmed air moving up through the bees which needs to vent somehow, or else there is condensation with the accompanying potential for mold growth. This cannot be good for the bees. IMHO
And the inner cover is cheap.


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## VirginiaMan (Dec 28, 2010)

I want to say a BIG thank you for all who chimed in on my thread, I'm using an inner cover with the top feeded and will just wait to see how it works out. Thank so very my for your thoughts and suggestions - I really appreciate it!


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## unhdude (Apr 21, 2011)

Are you putting the inner cover above or below the feeder? I have one of those trough style feeders, getting my bees on Tuesday


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## VirginiaMan (Dec 28, 2010)

Inner cover below top-frame feeder.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I never used to use the inner cover with my top feeder. The bees don't have access to the syrup area with the type I have.
Last year I played with putting the inner cover under the feeder, & think the bees are building less comb in the feeder because of the inner cover.


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## Russ (Sep 9, 2001)

If your Hive Top Feeder is Screened, you can get by without the Inner Cover providing that you have enough ventilation. The purpose of the Inner Cover is to keep the Telescoping Cover from getting Glued down to the hive body with Proplis.


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## Beeman410 (Mar 21, 2011)

I have plastic hive top feeders from Brushy Mtn. on a couple hives.
I made a small super (3"-4" deep) to surround and seal the top feeder in.. Then i just put the inner cover & top on.. works perfectly..


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Bees figured out long ago how to ventilate a tree with a 3/8 inch hole, and a Langstroth hive with a 3/4 by 3/8 opening in the Winter. I try to make their job easy with a screened bottom board. 
I make my job easier without an inner cover, just a migratory. No super around the feeders either. I have to get right up on them with supers and worry about burr comb and small hive beetles and ants and why?


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## Rex Piscator (Oct 12, 2010)

I constructed an 'enclosed' top feeder, rebated the two platforms up from the sides. One platform for a patty, the other for a 2.5 QT 'jar' feeder. The 2 platforms are about 7-7.5 inches; this left a large open area across all the frames in the center. Now, one colony of bees, they don't care about this open space...no burr, no bridge, no nothing...now the other colony...immediately began building free hanging comb vertically 'up' into the empty space across the frames...so it will probably depend upon the behavior of the colony... To combat the 'bee space' violation between the platforms, I filled the space with another loose fitting board[bee space on each side], complete with 'keeper' cleats holding the filler board at platform height. It is working quite well; both colonies seem happy with all the access to the feeder and all I have to do is remove the telescoping cover and 'peek' inside the feeder for food levels.

I started by using my inner cover for the feeder bottom...since moved it above the feeder as it's intended; even put some #8 mesh on over the hole. It made for a nice feeder bottom with an empty super around it...then I custom made the enclosure; as I needed the boxes for brood and surplus honey...lol.

So, I think it will really depend upon how your colony reacts to the environment...mine were both very different in their behaviors, and I'm not really surprised, .....

Good luck!

Images are worth more than words...:


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

If you have an open top feeder and use an inner cover that is notched you run a chance of bees drawning in mass as they enter the top using the grove in the outer cover and inner cover.

If my inner cover has that grove for a top entrance I don't use it with an open top feeder.

I am trying bucket feeders like the one in Rex's post. I like my open top feeders when I need to feed a lot because they hold so much.


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## toomanyhandles (Jun 24, 2009)

Ski said:


> I use a screened cover on top of the hive top feeder, it keeps other bees and insects out and provides some ventilation. Is it required, probably not.
> 
> 
> http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/Beegood_01/feeders002.jpg


This year was the first time I used Miller type top feeders. Really convenient for me, I was going to be gone for 3 weeks and had packages starting.

Not so convenient for the bees, it turned out, they used hardly any of the syrup, although I didn't have many drowned with the feeder type I chose. I did have plenty of mold on whatever the lid was for the Miller feeder (depending on the hive, either on the inner or telescoping cover).

I like that screened cover you show; except for small ants, it would keep bees out, carpenter ants out, and let ventilation happen. Is there someplace that sold it, or did you make it?

FWIW I'm thinking 1 gal buckets over the inner cover or baggies direct on the frames are my favorite feeders so far. Leaning toward baggies; I've had a couple buckets look like they were OK but weather or bad seal let them burp and lose a lot of syrup right down the middle of the colony. Baggies just work, and hold colony heat in cold temps so stay accessible.


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

I purchased my screened inner covers locally but Brushy Mountain and Dadant sell them.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/10-frame-Ventilated-Inner-Cover-Moving-Screen/productinfo/373/
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=891


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

A lot of inner covers these days have a notch in them for a top entrance. If you use it, make SURE that is closed or you'll have thousands of drowned bees.


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## Kazzandra (Jul 7, 2010)

Ski said:


> I use a screened cover on top of the hive top feeder, it keeps other bees and insects out and provides some ventilation. Is it required, probably not.


Ditto. You can pour in the feed without anyone being able to fly up and pop ya' one.

It keeps out ants, earwigs-- SHB, I would think, too.


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