# Ice cream bucket as a feeder?



## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

when we feed we use 1 gal buckets....betterbee has the screen inserts...they work well.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Yea, I used them one year. Drilled 1/16" holes around the top just under the lid ring. Filled almost full of sugar water and put the lids on and turn upside down. on top bars and cover with deep box and lid.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

These could also work, although I never needed to use them...










The bees would feed from around the edges.


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## MichaBees (Sep 26, 2010)

I use coffee plastic cans. I just cannot drink enough coffee to keep my bees well fed. The Cremora cans work just as well. 
If you use coffee cans; make sure is regular Folgers and not de-caff. They love Folgers…


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## Dubuquer (Jun 1, 2009)

They work great. Use a small spacer under the bucket and put them (invered) right on the frames.


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## bfriendly (Jun 14, 2009)

My suggestion is to TEST IT FIRST before putting it on the bees. Even "good" pails will start leaking ...seemingly randomly.

Most feeder buckets sold by bee suppliers / used as feeders have a rubber o-ring seal.

I once spotted a huge stack of (2-2.5 gal?) pails behind an ice cream shop, and thought I had hit the jackpot. Looked closer, tested one and it turns out they don't hold a seal very well when inverted. These didn't have o-rings..

-drill the holes, fill with water, turn it upside down and let sit for a few days. It will drip for a bit but then stop leaking - if the seal holds. It it is still full when you come back, should work!


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

there is a company that advertises on here that sells a feeder that isn't much more than what you are describing at a hefty price though...


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## TwinkieBee (Feb 21, 2011)

You could also just set them out and place sticks inside but it can cause robbing issues so I would be careful with it.


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## Hawkette (Mar 12, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I'm going to give them a try. 

Do you suggest that I use a 1/16th in. drill bit and drill holes in the lid, probably in a circular pattern? About how many holes should I drill? Do I drill close to the outer edge of the lid or closer to the middle of the lid? If I'm drilling the lid of the tub, I'm assuming that I'll be inverting the tub filled with syrup and place it right on the top bars. Then cover it all up with an empty hive box with the inner and outer covers placed on top.

OR, do I use a 1/16th in. drill bit and drill holes around the top edge of the ice cream tub itself? How many holes would you suggest? The plastic of the tub seems thicker, more sturdy than the plastic of the lid. When the lid is on the tub and it is turned upside down, there is created almost a "trough" between the lip of the lid and the edge of the tub. I'm assuming the sugar syrup might ooze out of the holes a little and pool around the edge of the lid. If this is the method I use, I'm assuming I can place the inverted syrup-filled tub on the inner cover and let the bees come up through the hole. I'd still enclose the tub in an empty hive box and put the telescoping cover over it all.

I hope that description made sense. I'll take your suggestion and do a trial run of one with plain water before I drill more tubs. 

My packages are scheduled to be here on April 14th!


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I would hold a thin sewing needle with a pair of pliers over a candle and heat it up then melt holes through the lid, you don't need more than 20 holes. Remember to invert the container away from your bees till a vacuum forms and the sugar water stops pouring out the holes before you set it on top of your bees or you'll soon be buying more bees..


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