# Drought and feeding



## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

If you aren't into feeding other people's bees for them, the ONLY safe way to go is some form of HIVE TOP FEEDER that is enclosed and non-accessable from outside of the hive by bees. This means the hive bees get access to it from inside only. 

There are several types in use today, some drown bees bad, some are no more than an inverted jar with small holes in the lid sitting on the inner cover over the escape hole. 

In my personal opinion the better way to go is an actual Hive top feeder that allows no drowning and gives you the ease of not having to suit up just to give them food. Here is my version of what is typically called the "Fat Beeman no-drown feeder". 

View attachment 13314


It also acts as the inner cover giving needed vent, and all you need to do is put your normal top cover over it.


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## dixieswife (Apr 15, 2013)

Dr Lonzo: Don't think that kind of hive top would work well in a TBH.

To OP: Baggie feeding works out OK for us. If your hive isn't full, put the baggie on the bottom after a follower board that has a small hole drilled through it. Keep your hive entrances small if robbing is an issue.


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

I have found simple is the best route for me. I take some type of plastic continer and put it in the back of the hive or next to the follower board. I put in some sticks or pine needles for floats. The bees seem to do fine with it. Since it is in the back of the hive, it will not set off robbing, and is easier to deal with than Baggie feeders. If the hive is full of comb, some might have to be removed to make room for the feeder. I will try and get some pictures if interested. I got the idea from Dr. Wyatt Mangum. You can check out his website for a video.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I have follower boards rigged up with jars (entrance feeder type set up, just in the back of the hive). Baggie feeders are much simpler and terribly easy to put into the hive. Fill the back up, burp most of the air, lay it down on the bottom, and poke a few holes with a needle.

After a few inspections last night, it looks like we're going to be doing some feeding before the winter. There is goldenrod blooming all over the place, but our bees don't seem to be making an appreciable gains. In fact, a couple hives have very little honey stored.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

the open plastic container in the hive didn't work too well for my TBH. I ended going with a modified boardman feeder that goes in the hive. Inverted mason jar with holes in the lid, propped up on wood so the bees can access it from underneath. I also purchased the Masonite TBH frame feeders from Beeline. They work well if it is 2:1 thick syrup or the bees consume all the syrup in 24hrs. Otherwise, those start to leak. Not sure why I didn't have as much bee death in them as I did in the open feeder. (still had some)


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## Buzzlightyear (Dec 4, 2013)

I use a bottom feeder.
Drill 3 (screw) holes through the top of your jar lid 60ish degrees apart.
Drill a 2" or so hole in the bottom of your hive. You can do this with bees in it just be carefull when your hole saw goes through. Attach the lid to the hive bottom centered on the hole with small screws.

Bees will need a ladder to crawl up/down as they take the sugar water. I make a tube out of 1/8 mesh. Roll it so it just goes through the hole you drill in the wood, should be a snug fit so when you remove the jar its stays put, but loose enough you can remove and clean out the odd dead bee. I use stainless wire to make pins that hold the screen shape.
Flatten the end of the mesh screen and put a pin or sew so bees can't get out the bottom of the screen roll.
Jar needs to be covered to keep light/heat off of it. Foil bubble insulation works well.

Works great, bees will take the sugar water real fast like over night.
I have had robbing but this way of feeding seems to work real well at preventing it+you dont disturb the hive when adding more sugar. Screen can be removed and a jar with lid can be screwed on when not feeding or if you have SHB you can use it as a bait trap with a acreen over the top to keep the bees out but let the SHB in.
I got the idea off of the guy that had beetle traps posted. Do a serch he has an awsome post.
Buzz


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

Go to a feed store and get a "poultry waterer" - it threads onto a quart mason jar. Cut a piece of poly rope to fit in the trough, melt the ends with a lighter so it doesn't unravel. It'll sit on the bottom of a TBH without issue. About $3 and 5 minutes invested. Better yet, make 2 and just swap them out when you refill.


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## Marysia2 (May 23, 2014)

After trying different things, including a custom-made follower board contraption (drew ants like crazy) I switched to a standard Boardman feeder that uses Mason jars, within the hive area. I have a bunch of jars so I can just swap out the empty for a full. The Baggies wouldn't be reusable (obviously) but the Mason jars just take a quick rinse with hot water and they're ready to be re-filled. I really agonized over how to feed the TBH's but this has worked for me and it's quick and easy. I just make sure I change out the jar in the late morning when all the cranky foragers are out of the house!


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## Thomassen (Jul 6, 2014)

I plan on a full hive inspection this weekend. Then I'll know how much honey they do have and how much feeding to do. I'll keep you all posted.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

It might be a good idea to do a varroa mite check as most places in California gets heavier loads of them this time of year as the brood cycle of the bees slows down.


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## mhorowit (Sep 25, 2011)

I feed two ways: the first is WAM's bucket with wood floats (pros: don't have to feed as often. Cons: have to open up the hive to feed). Second, I took the concept of a Boardman feeder, but made the mouth take a 1" dia. plastic pipe; drilled a 1" hole at the far end of the hive and shoved in the pipe and used that as a pathway from inside the hive to the outside feeder. The mason jar lid fits snuggly into the 'Boardman' feeder. (Pros: I have two 1 Qt mason jars, so I simply pull the empty and slip in the full from the outside of the hive Cons: you gotta do it every day when no nectar is available.)


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## mhorowit (Sep 25, 2011)

Buzzlightyear said:


> ... or if you have SHB you can use it as a bait trap with a acreen over the top to keep the bees out but let the SHB in.
> I got the idea off of the guy that had beetle traps posted. Do a serch he has an awsome post.
> Buzz


I use WAM's waste bucket idea and found that adding a tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar to the feed not only changes the pH and keeps the syrup from fermenting (heard that second hand) but attracts SHB larva (cider vinegar is touted in making SHB traps so that seems to be the agent that is doing the attracting); so when it's time to refill the bucket, I use a slotted spoon to pull out any dead bees and SHB larva. I do get a lot of dead bees. Guess I need to improve my 'ladder'.


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## Thomassen (Jul 6, 2014)

Anyone ever try or hear of using a hamster type water bottle?


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

I don't have TB hives, so maybe I shouldn't be replying in this thread....but I will anyway. :shhhh:

I use the in-hive feeder like drlonzo pictured above. They work great and you're really not opening the hive...only the lid to refill. Mine holds a half gallon on my nuc box feeders.

The hamster / rodent waters is an interesting idea, but most of those have a small ball at the end of the tube that could be problematic with thicker fluids like sugar water, or they are prone to dribbling without the ball. I may have to do a test with one to see what happens. Thanks for the idea. :thumbsup:


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## Thomassen (Jul 6, 2014)

I did a full hive inspection today. My last six top bars had about a third to half of the comb with capped honey. No full capped honey combs. The next four bars saw capped honey on the top third with a combination of capped and empty brood cells underneath. The next two had the same with some exposed larvae. I should note that some of the capped worker cells had their caps partially torn off. I could see pupae in a few of the cells. The brood comb up towards the front of the hive were pretty empty. I did find the queen on the comb 4th from the front. I saw pollen stores around the periphery on the last four bars. Pretty bleak, don't you think? The hive was pretty angry with my mucking about. I was stung three or four times trough my goat skin gloves. Oh, and I should add that I did not see any evidence of mites.:thumbsup:


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## Marysia2 (May 23, 2014)

Thomassen said:


> Anyone ever try or hear of using a hamster type water bottle?


I think there would definitely be a line forming to get access to that single little pipe opening.


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