# New Style of Bee Feeder for sale......



## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Is it only available for "a limited time only" ?


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Nah, at that price I'll make all you want


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I've always been under the impression that
open feeding was a "bad" thing and that it
encouraged robbing. What say ye all?? I am
game to try it........


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## Velbert (Mar 19, 2006)

I Seen one BK use those little 25-30 gallon steel barrels Put a top over it about 6" above the top of the barrel Put a float in it.He was feeding coke syrup in the fall after soybeans every hive was full of the syrup had a shallow with just 1 brood chamber super was all the way full and most all of the brood boxes were about 1/2 full .


But there was about a foot of dead bees in the barrow


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I have heard that too, but it works for me, and it's alot easier. I kill a few bees this way, but not many. They took 4 gallons in 4 hours today.


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## shorts (May 7, 2006)

I am gonna have to try this. I think if a person took some wire and made a ring and put some screen material on it, the bees would have something to stand on while they ate..... gonna have to try it... Shorts


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

nice idea ross...

sundance sezs:
I've always been under the impression that
open feeding was a "bad" thing and that it
encouraged robbing. What say ye all?

tecumseh suggest:
I think the two downsides of open feeding are 1) you are also feeding your neighbors bees and 2) the hives that need the feed the most are getting the least.

lastly... when we use to open feed years back we used those foam packing peanuts to minimize the number of drown bees.


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

"feeding coke syrup"

Yuck - that can't be good.

Keith


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

The rocks in the bowl are what the bees stand on. You can't see them in the picture. I also thought about florist "wet foam" cut to fit. I think the bees can suck the syrup out of the foam.


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## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

I have fed probably 50,000lb on open feeding thise year, if you take the proper precautions, some sort of float and don't place the feed to near your hives. You shouldn't have problems. I prop 55 gallon barrles at about a 45 degree, fill them with syrup and then place a nice thick layer of straw on top that the bees will work through to get the syrup. 

On the commercial side having a dozen barrels set up before you unload a semi, will greatly help the bees transition to thier new but temporary home.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

So where does one obtain "coke syrup" and what does it cost?

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I would try to get coke syrup out of your
mind..... It would be horrible for bees
IMO. No place for caffinated bees in this
world....


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## Big Ed (Jul 1, 2005)

Maybe bees on a caffeine high would work faster?


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Had to laugh today.I drove past two yards owned by 2 different beeks.The first one was singles with 2 drums being open fed.The other ,about a half mile away was supered up.Hmmm...


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

I do as Astro does. I put a layer of straw on the top of the hfcs barrel. Yeah I don't like that I am feeding the ferals and the neighbors bees, but a feeder for every hive is a lot of extra equipment.

I bought two barrels this weekend to individually feed the weak hives and nucs. Glad to finally get some rain. The g-rod, what little there is of it, is starting to bloom.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Oh, for got to mention that I also put a strip of burlap in the barrel too. I cut a strip about a foot wide and four foot long and tie it to the lip of the barrel for the bees to use to crawl up and groom themselves before flight.

BTW the link at the top is picture of a dog waterer.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

I open feed. It works out pretty well and saves alot of time and buckets. I DO individually feed hives that are weak or need alot of stores. They don't have to compete for it.

Otherwise, I'll open feed whenever possible. Straw always works good.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

> BTW the link at the top is picture of a dog waterer


Exactly. I hope you recognized the joke.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I was curious about the "coke syrup," mostly from a cost perspective. I much prefer HFCS or my own homemade sucrose syrup. I was just asking to see where it was available.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## SilverFox (Apr 25, 2003)

Pea Gravel would probably work don' ya think?? Or even saw dust, it kinda neat to watch them burrow down in the saw dust, just like little miners. 

[ August 24, 2006, 11:43 PM: Message edited by: SilverFox ]


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## variverrat (May 4, 2005)

OK, I've heard the same things about open feeding but decided to give it a try after seeing my Russians hanging around the garbage cans at the mini-mart 2 miles down the road yesterday evening. It's been bone dry around here and I doubt if we'll get any goldenrod this year.

I picked up the 5 gallon variety at the Pet-Smart, cost about $25. Had a bag of the smooth river gravel. Filled the bowl about 2 inches deep with the gravel and mixed 1:1 syrup in the tank (I'll try 2:1 next). I only have 2 really good hives and 1 weak hive. In 3 1/2 hours, there was hardly any left. WOW!! Took a quick trip to Costco to stock up on 50# bags of sugar, can't wait to see how much they drain tomorrow. There aren't much in the way of ferals around here so they must be my bees. Really is eye-opening how much they can move in a short period of time.


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## MichelleB (Jan 29, 2006)

I've seen those waterers before. Are they durable enough to hold the heavy weight of 5 gal. 2:1? Ross?


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## MichelleB (Jan 29, 2006)

Oooh...one more question. When you say, "open feed away from the hives," how far away? 

Main reason I'm asking is because I've got my girls surrounded by electric fencing (bears) and I'm not so sure I want to set out a big barrel of sweet stuff elsewhere on my property, unprotected. Don't wanna feed the bears....


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## Doctus Apis (Aug 27, 2006)

I don't have any bees yet, so I don't speak from experience, but the literature I'm reading right now frowns upon open feeding. As mentioned earlier, it will foster robbing. However, the waterer will make a nice....well, waterer for your bees. I'll definetely be looking into getting one of those whenever I get started. The book I'm reading also mentions the use of a chicken waterer.


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## MichelleB (Jan 29, 2006)

I use a chicken waterer with a chain in the trough. 

But for those of you glorious rule-breakers--any tips on my question above?


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I'm about 100 yards from my hives, behind a building. Yes, they will hold the weight of any liquid that will fit.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

There have been a number of comments about open feeding. One is that the weaker hives won't get their share. My OB hive is 4 frames of bees right now. As long as there is an open feeder outside, they completely ignor the inside feeder. They definitely get their share.


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