# Entrance feeder for TBH



## Bush_84 (Jan 9, 2011)

Poke small holes in a jar and place in the TBH. You could even cut a slit in an extra follower board and put the entrance feeder on the empty end pointing into the occupied space. I currently use a 1/2 gallon jar with small holes poked into the lid and I kind of have it sitting on it's side because it's to tall and you can't put it completely face down or bees don't have access. So it works for me!

Edit-I should say that it's not completely on it's side, but rather it's tilted a little. If you place it fully on it's side it wouldn't work either. Just have it angled slightly so it fits and the bees can get access to it.


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## Ignots (May 6, 2011)

I made extra false backs for mine and I am using a half gallon entrance feeder through the false back to feed, have 4 bars behind the false back giving me room for the feeder. Working out pretty well. Started with 8 bars behind it but have given the four since installing the package. Slot in the bottom of the false back just fits the feeder, nothing gets through till I change it out...


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## metrosean (Jan 10, 2006)

I use a plastic quart chicken water jug i got at tractor Supply. I put it inside of the hive and it works great.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

I use 1/2 gal mason jar with about 5 small holes in the lid. They get placed inside the hives on a couple 1/2" shims that allow the bees to crawl under and get to the feed. I average about 3-5 days before needing to refill. 
I personally wouldn't want to use an entrance feeder for fear of robbing.

Mike


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Always assumed TBH bkprs were more into letting the bees feed themselves. Guess I was wrong.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Always assumed TBH bkprs were more into letting the bees feed themselves. Guess I was wrong.


You really assumed that? After being here long enough to make over 10,000 posts you haven't come to realize that a hive type doesn't really equate to a complete management philosophy? Hard to believe. That post comes off more like a backhanded criticism.

I use an inverted jar feeder right in the entrance. My hives are right by my house, so they're easy to fill, and I don't have to open the hive.


Adam


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## SteveBee (Jul 15, 2010)

I cut a hole in the back end of my hive and stuck a boardman feeder in. I can fill it from the outside, but the bees can only get to it from the inside. I have a gap under my follower boards for the bees to get back and forth. Works well.


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## SteveBee (Jul 15, 2010)

And in response to the response above mine....sqkcrk's response comes off like most of his do. Backhanded is a good description.


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## metrosean (Jan 10, 2006)

sqkcrk said:


> Always assumed TBH bkprs were more into letting the bees feed themselves. Guess I was wrong.


When starting from a package you most likely have no choice to but to feed a bit. I started on a couple of weeks ago and they only took sugar for a few days and then would not touch the stuff.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

SteveBee said:


> And in response to the response above mine....sqkcrk's response comes off like most of his do. Backhanded is a good description.


That's fair, I guess. Consider me spanked.

I'll have to bring this idea up to Sam Comfort and get his take on feeding TBHs. 

 Would you rather have the front hand kind?  I have no idea what that would be.


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## kjohnson5488 (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm new at this and still waiting for bees, but here's the feeder I built...
http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww25/Pinebarren_photos/Top Bar Hive/DSC01906_640x428.jpg
http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww25/Pinebarren_photos/Top Bar Hive/DSC01893_640x428.jpg
http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww25/Pinebarren_photos/Top Bar Hive/DSC01894_640x428.jpg


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## Ignots (May 6, 2011)

Howdy...newbie but what I did was use an entrance feeder when I started them back on May 8th. I had a false back with a cutout for the large entrance feeder from Brushy Mountain, 1/2 gal size. Had it started at the 9th frame to start and moved it backwards as I gave them space for building, two frames at a time till the 13th frame. Left it there (only had 4 bars left and needed all that space to change/refill it). When I added the last four bars (other 13 almost completed) I removed it and placed it at the entrance. On the last four bars, I removed material so that they had through access to a 10 frame langstroth that sits inside the modified cover and it contains a 1-1/2 gal boardman feeder with 8 frames. The last four tb frames are almost completed and they are building in the 10fr now. Its a russian queen from hardemans and that hive is packed. Right now they are going through about 6 gals of 1/1 a week. Hoping to maybe get a few supers built up when they are nearing the end of the langstroth or another deep and splitting them with it. The half gal entrance feeder is empty every day when I get home, the boardman every few days.


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