Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: funbee1 on June 18, 2012, 11:55:10 pm
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I started a nuc yesterday and I know I must feed them. The only feeders I have used on my hives are top feeders. Not really sure how the jar feeders work.
The nuc had no hole in the top so I drilled a one inch round hole and placed a one quart mason jar over it with three very small holes in it. Started to make a mess after a while because I have a 3/4 inch piece of wood under the rear of the nuc so that water runs off. The syrup wanted to run out from under the jar and drain toward the front of the nuc, so I removed the wood and leveled the nuc. Now it seems fine but is this setup ok? Do they really get enough food from this small one inch feed hole?
Thanks,
Scott in MI
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I don't think a slope would effect the jar feeders unless it was so sloped air was getting to the holes, when you filled it up did you turn it upside down and hold it for a bit until it stopped flowing out(it has to do with the air in the jar) the cover must be screwed on tight also. My jar feeders are mason jars with the metal lid then the ring and I put screen over the metal lid then screw the ring on so the screen is there for the bees to hang onto.
I don't know about the one inch hole someone else can chime in about that.
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ok, I'll add some screen tomorrow, Thanks
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Yes, your set up is fine. I use 1" cover holes with 3 1/16" holes in the lid. They get plenty of feed.
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Make sure the small holes in the syrup jar do not rest directly against the wood as it will wick out.
If you have a extra box the same size as the nuc, you can set your jars right on top of the frames and surround with the extra box.
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I started a nuc yesterday and I know I must feed them.
When you make a nuc, take food frames from orininal hive. You need not feed any nucs.
Pollen is important to new nuc and so, give a pollen frame too.
Further more. Feeding small nucs wakes up interest of robbers.
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Yes, you can feed nucs. I would not do silly things like add scent. (You know, the stuff they say is important to keep bees healthy.....now that nectar and pollen is not doing the job after millions of years. :roll: ) This is like ringing a dinner bell for other hives to come and get it.
If your using a nail, the holes are probably too big. Syrup should not be dripping out of a jar in the manner you describe. I use a push pin and tap it with a hammer to just get the tip through the lid. Anything beyond this small hole size is not needed.