# one week in... not using top box?



## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

Hi Beemartin,

How do you refill your jar feeder? Do you take off the roof and quilt to get to the jar? And is the jar sitting on the top bars of the bottom box? If so, you might want to build a top feeder to put on top of the top box so the bees don't get bothered as much every time you feed them. Top feeders are highly recommended to prevent robbing. Plus they are easier to refill. I modified the feeder I bought from thewarrestore.com by removing the screen separator to allow bees access to the entire area of the feeder so they can clean any mold growth. And to keep the bees from drowning, I placed a styrofoam sheet as a floater and later replaced it with a waffled shelf liner. After using it over the winter, the feeder seems to be breaking up at the seam. So, instead of pouring the syrup in the feeder, I will place a square glass pan in the feeder along with a waffled shelf liner next time. This link shows my top feeder = http://www.keepandshare.com/photo/461791/mobeek-s-honey-bees?fv=y&ifr=

And this link gives you ideas of other feeders = http://www.warre.biobees.com/feeders.htm

Good luck.


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## beemartin (Mar 13, 2013)

thanks for the links!  We are going to try and build a top feeder this weekend... right now I have to open it up and refill the jar.


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## Tim Keyes (May 9, 2013)

beemartin said:


> Hi all! I'm very new with bees, and learning all I can! I installed my bees from a 3# package a week ago into my Warre (2 boxes), and they are busy busy! They have built out half of the bottom box, straight beautiful comb, but haven't started anything at all in the top box. My understand was they would start in the top, and build down down down... do I need to do anything? Or leave it and see what happens? Do I have backwards bees? I did a line of beeswax on each top bar in both boxes, and I do have a jar feeder in the upper box as it was pretty chilly over the weekend, and they drank all but about 3T of the quart so I gave them more today... does having the jar at one side of the top box prevent them from building comb up there? A guy in my bee club who used to have Warre's told me to feed this way, but thought I’d ask here as well! I'm doing everything I can to leave them alone and let them be...I just want to make sure we get started strong!  Thanks for any wisdom you can share!
> 
> ~Concerned new bee mom


I am also new to beekeeping. I captured a small swarm about 7 weeks ago. I also started off with 2 boxes and saw they were building comb in the lower box. I just reversed the boxes. I am now at 4 boxes with the top 2 completely full of honey. Being in So Cal there is plenty of food available so no feeding needed.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

Swap the boxes,empty top for bottom, brood on top. They hardly care if you don't disturb the bars. Mine have done that, its an easy fix. Luck!


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## Ravenzero (Sep 26, 2012)

My theory is bees that come from langs are used to building from the bottom up.... I need to run some experments to prove this! lol


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