# Made a 5-Gallon SW Bucket Feeder



## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

GREAT IDEA.......I know what I am building today!!!


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

Hey! Are those MY bees you are feeding? 
Or just TN or KY bees?


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Hopefully just feeding mine though I do see some bees leaving and going around to the front of the house and I don't have any bees in that direction.

Have a new thread with 4 good pictures of the 3rd version of the float.


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## pcelar (Oct 5, 2007)

:applause:

And what do you do with wasps?


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## jdnetone (Aug 19, 2005)

I am going to try to make on this week thanks for sharing. 

James


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

pcelar said:


> :applause:
> 
> And what do you do with wasps?


 
Don't have to worry about wasps. The bees don't leave any room at the trough for them to drink! I am talking wall to wall bees.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

jdnetone said:


> I am going to try to make on this week thanks for sharing.
> 
> James


You're welcome. That's what this site is all about. Sharing information. :thumbsup:


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I like it. Here's mine:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#bucketfloat


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Since I rank right down there with SUCKS when it comes to that type of wood work I use a cut round of bubble wrap. I use the small bubble cells and at first had the flat side down and had a lot of drownings. Then I flipped it over and added a few 1"-2" cuts (through the cells) and it worked great. I tried with the larger cells and it didn't seem to work near as well.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Michael Bush said:


> I like it. Here's mine:
> http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#bucketfloat


Thanks. After looking at yours I like it and it is probably better than mine.


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## mixofsam (May 30, 2009)

I used a smaller bucket so a super can fit over/around (it's resting on the inner cover). I've always had issues with SW leaking out now I don't. Plus it looks like I feed alot more of my bees at one time (rather than waiting in line). I modified the original plan by cutting out a rectangular hole in the middle (4.5 x3 inch) rather than multiple holes. Then cut some shims and pushed/secured the screen so it's a few millemeters below the top of the wood surface. That way the sugar water is just in contact with the screen for easy feeding. I wrapped screen around the circumference so the bees have something to grab if they happen to fall in between the bucket and the floating disk. I installed it this weekend and "baited" them up the bucket by running some of the SW down the side. Watched a wave of bees quickly working their way up the bucket and over!

Thanks for the idea!
Chris


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Like to see some pics.


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## NC-Bee-Dude (Jun 20, 2009)

So guys, I could easily use this for my one colony? Maybe two?

I've gone from a Boardman feeder to a hive-top feeder, but next year, if the need arises, I'd like to try this.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

USCBeeMan said:


> To see the bees you will have to double click on the pictures to enlarge them.
> 
> http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/tngamecockfan/SW%20Bucket%20Feeder/


Thanks Ken! I like this. I am making one tomorrow. With the Holidays and Hunting next week I won't bee able to monitor top feeders so I am putting 5 gallons out Sunday. Monday will be the only day I well be able to check it. I will take a couple of pics and post them.


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

they work great. MAKE SURE you staple it really good, little buggers can find their way under the screen.....


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks Dev. I just bought a new box of staples too. I will staple the crap out of it.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Yep, need to staple down the screen wire so that they don't get under it if/when the float tips over as it nears the bottom of the bucket. Also, I now use scrap plywood or scrap 10" or 12" pine to make my floats in 1 solid piece of wood instead of screwing narrower boards together.

Also, the pictures show the float with the screen side down. The screen side of the float should be up. I have fed my bees using these floats and buckets for a few months now. I have no idea how many buckets of sugar water I have put out but it has to be at least 20 or more. That's a lot of sugar water and the sugar companies love me. I hope this pays off next year because I have spent a fortune in sugar.

Put out a bucket at the house this morning. It's probably half gone now. If it had been a very warm day, it wouldn't have lasted very long at all.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

How thick is the plywood? I have some 1/4 or 3/8 at the office. Thanks for the screen side up clarification. I was thinking screen side down.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

I have used some 3/8". Seems to work just as well but will not last as long because it is so thin. You could cut out two floats and glue/nail them together and then drill the holes in thicker float. I would also paint the plywood after finishing up the project.

Also, it's hard to see in the picture but you should have the screen "bubble over" the edge of the float so that it sticks out around the edge of the float. Gives the girls more area to drink from and hang on to if that fall in the drink.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

With the screen side up. Does the syrup make it to the top of the screen or does is it take some bee weight to weigh it down so they can access it. Seems if you used 3/4 plywood they couldn't get to it unless there were alot of bees on the float.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Doesn't seem to matter how heavy/light the float. The sugar water seems to come up close to the screen. Sometimes I just take my finger and poke the float down. It gets covered with the SW and the holes seem to fill up to the top.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Sounds good. Thanks again! :thumbsup:


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## Loonerone (May 4, 2009)

In our bee school we were told not to practice open feeding - leads to robbing, comingling of other people's untreated bees - thereby spreading diseases, etc. and results in fighting which leaves lots of dead bees near the open feeder. But it seems those of you writing here ignore this and in fact, do practice open feeding. Verrryy interesting.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Loonerone said:


> In our bee school we were told not to practice open feeding - leads to robbing, comingling of other people's untreated bees - thereby spreading diseases, etc. and results in fighting which leaves lots of dead bees near the open feeder. But it seems those of you writing here ignore this and in fact, do practice open feeding. Verrryy interesting.


 
Loose very few bees this way. Would rather feed a few other bees and effectively feed my 10 hives in each yard. Doesn't lead to robbing at my yards. Seems to do the opposite. They are too busy feeding on the SW at the bucket(s).


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

I havent seen any robbing from open feeding. That being said, I see your point about the diseases and such, BUT, would the same thing not occur as they work flowers and everything else. I see them around here sometimes piled up on the foilage, kinda like they do in the bucket......


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## Todd 64 (Nov 13, 2009)

Great idea, I use something similar, but I like your float design better. less drowning bee`s. According to our bee inspector, it is illegal to yard feed in B.C. Has something to do with spreading diseases. so mom`s the word.
Thanks for the photo.


High from the Rock!


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

Todd 64 said:


> . so mom`s the word.
> Thanks for the photo.
> 
> 
> High from the Rock!


I would say that MUM's the word....not mom...LOLOLOLOL:lpf:


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## bigeddie (Feb 19, 2008)

```
[QUOTE="USCBeeMan, post: 478965, member: 69157"]I have used some 3/8".  Seems to work just as well but will not last as long because it is so thin.  You could cut out two floats and glue/nail them together and then drill the holes in thicker float.  I would also paint the plywood after finishing up the project.[HTML]
```
Also, it's hard to see in the picture but you should have the screen "bubble over" the edge of the float so that it sticks out around the edge of the float. Gives the girls more area to drink from and hang on to if that fall in the drink.[/QUOTE]

Wouldn't a piece of luan dipped in wax after the holes were drilled work and then wrap with screen?


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## Todd 64 (Nov 13, 2009)

devdog108 said:


> I would say that MUM's the word....not mom...LOLOLOLOL:lpf:


What did you expect? After all i`m stupid right?



High from the Rock!


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

bigeddie said:


> ```
> Wouldn't a piece of luan dipped in wax after the holes were drilled work and then wrap with screen?[/QUOTE]
> 
> Don't see why not.  Just wonder what will happen when there are several inches of bees on the float.
> ```


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Made one.

Here is where I screwed up. I used a real fine wire mesh. That’s what I had on hand. When I rapped and stapled it, I did not have it tight creating a gap to where the bees cannot access the holes, just the sides. Didn’t realize it until just now when I took the pic, so I added a couple of rocks until I can fix it. I will go out tomorrow and staple the gap down. 

All of my buckets taper. So I made the float to the smallest size of the bucket so it will go all the way to the bottom. So I just stuffed some tall grass in there to fill up the gap until it go’s down some. Seems to be working great!


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## Killervector (Mar 12, 2011)

Do you have to bring them in or cover them in rainstorms?


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

In the past they didn't stay full very long. 2 or 3 hours and they were empty. But at certain times they didn't feed as hard on the SW. I left them outside and they got rainwater in them. Really weakened the SW to the point they wouldn't take it and it would also start fermenting. So now I put the bucket(s) under something that keeps them out of the rain. At the farm I put them under a haybarn. At home, I put them under the patio. Never got stung while sharing the patio with them.


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