# Homemade Topfeeder



## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

kudos, THAT'S an innovative take on a hive top feeder. You just try to drown yourselves now bees. lOL


----------



## F6Hawk (Mar 31, 2014)

Another way is to use plastic canvas cut to fit perfectly inside the feeder so bees can't get under it into the syrup. Cheap, floats, and easy to work with...

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/yarn-needlework/plastic-canvas/?subcat=Plastic Canvas Sheets


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Let us know how it works out.


----------



## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Van - Now I am mad. Just finished making a modified miller two days ago and then I see this idea. 

Really neat idea, very innovative, and think it will work really well. I may copy this.


----------



## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

F6Hawk said:


> Another way is to use plastic canvas cut to fit perfectly inside the feeder so bees can't get under it into the syrup. Cheap, floats, and easy to work with...


Will it start sinking if too many bee get on it. I made a float that did the same.


----------



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Hard to beat a miller feeder! Easy to build if you have old deep boxes to cut into three of them. www. dave-cushman.net/bee/newhome.html has great drawings. You will have to figure out demensions as the measurements provided are for british national boxes and in cubits or something.

One of my friends just bought six feeders from a major supplier and used them just as directed and they dumped syrup and mostly drowned six colonies. Please be careful.


----------



## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Beautiful work there, VanIslander. Can you post some photos of it in action?

Thanks!


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

I took some video of this feeder on a hive. It's about 25 seconds long, here. 

It was 70 degrees when this was taken, so a lot of the bees are out of the hive -- there are not so many in the entry section in the middle. When I take the top off in cool weather, there are hundreds of bees in there, working the syrup. 

It had been in place for about ten days -- not a single dead bee (a few dead ants, though...).


----------



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

VanIslander,
I have a few questions on your design. 
Do the "wings" reach all of the way to the bottom of the containers? What kind of containers are they? Also, how does the bottom of the screen meet the bees entrance? 
I tried a similar design but where the screen component met the bees entrance, bees were still able to enter the top of the feeder.
I hope the questions make some sense. Thanks for the info.


----------



## ForrestB (May 26, 2013)

Fantastic! I think a few if us are going to be copying you....


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

ericweller said:


> VanIslander,
> I have a few questions on your design.
> Do the "wings" reach all of the way to the bottom of the containers? What kind of containers are they? Also, how does the bottom of the screen meet the bees entrance?
> I tried a similar design but where the screen component met the bees entrance, bees were still able to enter the top of the feeder.
> I hope the questions make some sense. Thanks for the info.


Eric, Here's a cross-section of the feeder. The red line is where the hardware cloth goes. 










The wings do touch the bottom of the reservoirs on either side. I removed the feeder about a week ago, and the girls had drained the 1:1 syrup right to the bottom -- there wasn't a tablespoon left in either side. The reservoirs are just some cheap plastic things that I bought at a dollar store -- anything would work -- aluminum baking-ware, etc. 

I wanted the screened piece to simply sit in place with no fasteners, so it can be quickly lifted out for cleaning the reservoirs. I find it's getting pretty thick and gummy in them, after a couple of refills. When I do that, I have a piece of plywood the same size as the center section, and simply set it there after the screen is removed. This keeps the girls out of my face if I'm not wearing a veil. After cleaning and refilling, the screen section is set back in position. The inner cover holds it snugly in place. 

The photos in the OP above show the strips of 3/8" wood to which the hardware cloth is stapled. It takes a few minutes of careful bending and adjusting of the hardware cloth in the shop, to ensure there are no gaps that they can get through, at the entrance to the wings. 

I hope this helps. Let me know if it doesn't make sense....


----------



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

Awesome! Thanks so much!
One other question. In the bee entrance, there is a piece of wood with 5 large holes through which the bees enter. Why is that plate necessary? Is that to keep them from building comb in the feeder?
Thanks again!


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

ericweller said:


> Awesome! Thanks so much!
> One other question. In the bee entrance, there is a piece of wood with 5 large holes through which the bees enter. Why is that plate necessary? Is that to keep them from building comb in the feeder?
> Thanks again!


I built the initial box, to the footprint dimensions of the supers, and insalled a 3/8" plywood bottom. Then drilled the bees' access holes at the drill press with a forstner bit. Didn't even think about comb in the entry -- there hasn't been any so far. If I had to make more of these feeders, I would probably make the entry way in the middle a lot narrower, so I could use larger reservoirs on either side. My initial thinking with the larger entry was that I could put sugar blocks and patties in there. But back in March, had more luck with laying flat sugar cakes (Lauri's recipe...) right on top of the frames, so the larger cavity isn't necessary...

But by gawd, they are sure bee friendly. The only bees I've had drown are ones that flew into the reservoirs when I had the covers off.


----------



## ozbee (Feb 13, 2012)

a bit of shade cloth fixed one end to the top and long enough to reach the far end bottom of the feeder . bees don't drown even if you drop them in the solution they will buzz aroung until they touch the shade cloth. bees can climb up it wet or dry .


----------



## 71ragtop (May 19, 2014)

Made 2 of your feeders yesterday took about 3 hours Son is new into beekeeping. Also made a hive stand


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Nice saw. Nice design too. That's about all I can say other than I built several myself when I started. Now they are in a pile because I hate using top feeders, buckets, boardman feeders or you name it. It is all such a huge hassle. Spills occur, ants find it as do yellow jackets and the bees don't take it during a decent flow IMO. I'm surprised you need any type of feeder this time of year unless you have new colonies. In IL there should be buckets of honey being stored right now no?
Anyway when I feed mine I use a frame filler I made and 2:1 thick syrup goes into the hives. I also open feed a lot in the fall which is another can not to be opened.
I'm not urinating in your breakfast cereal-just my two pennies. Fly that new beekeeper flag as long as you can but be careful because they will break your spirit and make you wonder why you went to all the trouble for them.
Good luck.


----------



## 71ragtop (May 19, 2014)

Yep brand new hives I was told to feed them for at least a week or 2 bees are getting picked up on Saturday and goin in.


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

71ragtop said:


> Yep brand new hives I was told to feed them for at least a week or 2 bees are getting picked up on Saturday and goin in.


Absolutely feed packages. On new equipment you will likely be giving them syrup throughout the summer if they take it. Watch for mold and fermentation if there is a flow on and/or the bees stop taking the syrup. 
Good luck


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

71ragtop said:


> Made 2 of your feeders yesterday took about 3 hours Son is new into beekeeping. Also made a hive stand


Hey Ragtop, Those look great. Have you 'christened' them yet? I put mine back on a week ago, with just water in the reservoirs. There isn't a natural water supply around here, and this seemed a good way to give them a convenient source without a lot of other critters/bugs in it. They're using about an inch a week of water (less evaporation, of course...).


----------



## ColbyH (Jun 2, 2014)

nice job !!. i would like to try and make some as well if you don't mind


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

ColbyH said:


> nice job !!. i would like to try and make some as well if you don't mind


Nice of you to ask -- absolutely, please make some -- that's why I posted this, so other folks could copy the idea. I'm sure someone will figure out how to make them better than these, with a simpler, smarter design. 

By the way, looked into my hives today -- the top feeders just have water in them, now. They've been off and on since April and not a single drowned bee (other than the ones that flew into the reservoirs while I had the covers off...


----------



## jjohnsind (Apr 24, 2014)

I'm new to this so pardon my ignorance. Why do people make feeding more complicated than it needs to be? I just installed my nuc a couple of weeks ago, wasn't sure if I needed to feed or not and hadn't made a decision on what top feeder to get so I just put a couple of ziplock baggies on top. Seems to be working fine. Am I missing something?


----------



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

jjohnsind said:


> I'm new to this so pardon my ignorance. Why do people make feeding more complicated than it needs to be? I just installed my nuc a couple of weeks ago, wasn't sure if I needed to feed or not and hadn't made a decision on what top feeder to get so I just put a couple of ziplock baggies on top. Seems to be working fine. Am I missing something?


Its just another way of accomplishing the same task. I tried the ziplock baggie method but didn't like having to throw them away after one use.


----------



## F6Hawk (Mar 31, 2014)

Who says you have to? Just re-fill them carefully!!

BTW, if you aren't buying them at Sam's Club, you should start. MUCH cheaper there than anywhere else I have found.



ericweller said:


> Its just another way of accomplishing the same task. I tried the ziplock baggie method but didn't like having to throw them away after one use.


----------



## jjohnsind (Apr 24, 2014)

The way I cut my ziplocks, they would be difficult to refill (maybe I'm doing it wrong). But you're right, they're merely pennies at Sam's Club. The sugar water costs a lot more. The only drawback I've found so far with baggies are the mess you'd make having to remove them if you need to get into the frames before the baggie is empty (I'm putting the baggies directly on the bars as instructed). One of these days I might try putting them on top of the inner cover. Zero drowned bees after 4 baggies so far.


----------



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am a firm believer in baggies early season when it is cold as the cluster tends to keep the syrup in the baggie usable to the bees at cooler temperatures. 

For summer and fall feeding, I make miller feeders using plans at http://www.dave-cushman.net/ Rest in peace. Good folks keep this wonderful resource alive. I cut down old deeps into two feeders. I flatten off the mushy bottom and top edges and find the best place to cut in the middle. Since old boxes at my place are of different manufactury, each one requires different measurements for pieces. Amazing how width of boxes varies. The only addition I make is to put #8 hardware cloth over the top after leak checking to keep bees from drowning during opening and closing of hives. That makes them just about drown proof.


----------



## beeditch (Dec 19, 2013)

This is very cool! I will be making a set asap. Thank You for sharing! :applause:


----------



## honey jhar (Jun 5, 2014)

Vanislander,
After continued use, do you still like the design? Will you change anything in the future?
I am considering it's use in my increases next year.


----------



## VanIslander (Aug 19, 2013)

honey jhar said:


> Vanislander,
> After continued use, do you still like the design? Will you change anything in the future?
> I am considering it's use in my increases next year.


I had them on for about six weeks in the spring (a bit too long, as it turns out...) and have just put them back on -- we've been in a dearth here since July. I still haven't had a bee drown in the ramps. The odd one flies in from the outside while the cover's off, and drowns in the reservoirs. It's handy to just lift the top cover and pour in more syrup, with the bees behind the hardware cloth. My brother is now using them, and is working on a modification to the screen ramps to make them stiffer. But I'm really happy with them, and plan to use them until it's too cold for syrup.


----------

