# Another Twist on Inverted Feed Jars



## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

Good idea. I would set one up in a make shift hive and fill jar with plain water to see if it holds its vacuum. Some have tried Randys feed jar set up and had problems with holding a vacuum. Test it for a couple weeks out in full sun and let us know. In the long run I think metal tubing would be better because you could flange the end on inside of jar and would keep jar from tipping over from high wind. Plastic tube may pull out. Time will tell, I have had only a couple jars get knocked over though. Good job!


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Bkwoodsbees said:


> Good idea. I would set one up in a make shift hive and fill jar with plain water to see if it holds its vacuum. Some have tried Randys feed jar set up and had problems with holding a vacuum. Test it for a couple weeks out in full sun and let us know. In the long run I think metal tubing would be better because you could flange the end on inside of jar and would keep jar from tipping over from high wind. Plastic tube may pull out. Time will tell, I have had only a couple jars get knocked over though. Good job!


I have fed several 1/2 gallon jars on all of my hives without incident, but I have only been running them for a short while. The 3/32" ID provides an immediate vacuum. Turn it upside down and you might get 3 drips before it completely seals. Much better than the issues I was having with the copper tubing. However, you point out the only flaw I have found so far: the flexible "nipple" does not provide the stability that the copper tubing does in anchoring the jar to the top. I have thought about an anchoring shim around the mounted jar, but then I am right back into building another component, which defeats the KISS aspect I am going for. I will keep tinkering with this. Thanks for the comment.


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## dlbrightjr (Dec 8, 2015)

Cool idea. Thanks for sharing.


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## RBRamsey (Mar 1, 2015)

Do you have a link to Randy's feeding jars?


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

RBRamsey said:


> Do you have a link to Randy's feeding jars?


http://scientificbeekeeping.com/fat-bees-part-3/


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Psm1212 - looks like a great idea. Do you have a part or SKU number for the tubing? Brand name? Material? Maybe a close-up photo of the lettering on the tube beyond just the dimensions already shown?


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

shinbone: I will look when I get home. I bought it at a Marvin's Hardware store. That may be a regional chain. Give me a day or so and I will get you the info.


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## GregH (Aug 4, 2016)

You can get a 100 foot of 1/4 inch tubing at home depot in the sprinkler section for less than 10 dollars and it works just fine.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

I used 1/8" brass tubing that I solder up with a small flat washer for support. A 3/16" through covers is easily sealed up by the bees... 



BeeCurious said:


> I picked up a 3' length of 1/8" brass tubing at a hobby shop for $2.29
> I abraded the outer surface of the lid a bit and used a small flat washer for support and to hold solder. The photo shows the results of my quick test.
> 
> It's certainly strong enough.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Shinbone: Micro Fuel Tubing SKU 708289471985. 3/32" ID 3/16" OD


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Greg: I had difficulty holding vacuum with a 1/4" copper tubing. Perhaps the plastic tubing you are talking about would do a better job. I figure many types of tubing will work. I just wanted to find something that I would not have to solder or seal with silicone and would hold the syrup in the jar and let the bees fetch it out. The 11/64" hole in the top pinches and seals the 3/16" OD tubing once you force it through without any additional steps.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

psm1212 said:


> Shinbone: Micro Fuel Tubing SKU 708289471985. 3/32" ID 3/16" OD


Thanks!


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## nediver (May 26, 2013)

I would think if you used a 1 gallon paint can with a brick on it you wouldn't lose it to wind. Downside is no visibility to feed.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

When I'm feeding the idea is to put as much as possible in as quickly as possible. Try using a gallon zip-lock and a feeder shim and you'll forget all about jars. A decent size colony can take three quarts overnight. 
I suppose there's a particular situation where slow-feeding is what you want but I'm not aware of it. 

Great idea though. Call it a hamster feeder.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

aunt betty said:


> When I'm feeding the idea is to put as much as possible in as quickly as possible. Try using a gallon zip-lock and a feeder shim and you'll forget all about jars. A decent size colony can take three quarts overnight.
> I suppose there's a particular situation where slow-feeding is what you want but I'm not aware of it.
> 
> Great idea though. Call it a hamster feeder.


Three quarts a night?!! I have seen them suck a quart down over night and a 1/2 gallon over 2 days, but never 3 quarts over night. Maybe I should try the bag. I don't know that I can afford that much sugar between now and when I get my supers on!


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

In addition to not drowning bees, the advantage of the inverted-jar-with-the-tube-through-a-hole is that the jar can be refilled without opening the hive or disturbing the bees. Meaning, replenishing the syrup is super easy. Plus, since the jar sits on top of the hive, a quick glance shows which jars need to be refilled and which don't. Not saying the jar method is perfect, but it does have some advantages. The more hives a person has, the more helpful the easy-monitoring and quick-refills become.

Lots of different ways to skin the cat, but feeding as fast as possible isn't always a goal when feeding bees. In fact, for myself, feeding as fast as possible is never a goal. That's just me, though.

JMHO




.


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## GregH (Aug 4, 2016)

I have not had any problems with the plastic tubing holding a vacuum. Also I have found that if you cut the tubing that fits into the hive at a 45 degree angle the bees can get to the feed better.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

When making spring syrup I generally use 20 pounds of sugar and 20 pounds of boiling hot water. (2.5 gallons of water) 
Five-gallon bucket and a paint stirring thing on a cordless drill. 
It makes 3 to 4 gallons that I put into gallon-sized iced-tea jugs that I save.
Head for the hives and pour about 2.5-3 quarts into a bag, set it on top of the frames, then slice it with an exacto or utility knife... four or five slits. If it's still warm it helps. Caution: don't get carried away with the slits and keep them "centered" on the bag or it will leak. 

Once you try it you'll like it. Use the freezer zip lock bags. (don't skimp) 
They get tossed when done and that's the drawback to this method. One-time use on the bags.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I will try that Greg. It is that black tubing that runs to misters? I have been experimenting all spring. Going to try the bag too. Right now, my winner is the setup in my OP, but I am not married to it. What I am really wanting is a stiffer version of the micro fuel line that will give me some anchoring properties to the jar. I worry about it tipping with the flexible plastic, but I have not had one tip yet.


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## GregH (Aug 4, 2016)

Yes it is the black 1/4 inch mister tubing. Drill a 1/4 inch hole in the jar lid and you are ready to go. You could also let the tubing stick inside the jar about an inch and put silicone around the tubing on the inside. To keep the sugar cooler and stop the jar from typing you can get a cheap white 2 gallon bucket and place it over the jar on top of the hive and then put a brick on the bucket.


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

psm1212 said:


> Three quarts a night?!! I have seen them suck a quart down over night and a 1/2 gallon over 2 days, but never 3 quarts over night. Maybe I should try the bag. I don't know that I can afford that much sugar between now and when I get my supers on!


I use one gallon frame feeders. I've seen them empty a frame feeder over night. I think the limit is the bees ability to to access the syrup in the feeder and not their ability to store the syrup. I've put as many as three frame feeders of 2:1 in a hive at once when topping them off for winter and they were empty 48 hours later.

I don't feed them aggressively in the spring. You don't want them storing syrup that will just be moved up from the deeps into your supers as they expand the brood nest. 

Before I switched to frame feeders I took a 8" x 6" x 3/4" board and glued narrow wood strips around the edge on one side. At one end of the board I cut a hole for a quart jar. Then I placed it over the inner cover so that the jar was not directly above the vent hole in the inner cover. I poked a few holes in the lid with a thumbtack and inverted it in the hole. This keeps the feeder jar from dripping down onto the cluster. I'd place a super on top of the inner cover to protect the jar and then put on the hive top. This is adequate for 1:1 spring feeding, but is completely inadequate for topping them off with winter storage.


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