Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: T.J. on January 30, 2012, 10:16:52 pm
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of the two which do you prefer and why when installing packages?
thanks,
T.J.
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I’m not a big fan of the few division board feeders I have purchased. The product I bought was dimensionally unstable and bowed like a row boat. This is probably not always the case. A couple more things I don’t like: division feeders take up hive room and drown bees. That said, I haven’t tried the offerings from everybody, and maybe somebody does make a good division feeder.
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http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#frame (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#frame)
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#miller (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#miller)
Most of the time I use this:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#BottomBoardFeeder (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#BottomBoardFeeder)
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BlueBee & Mr. Bush,
thanks for the help & advice on this and my other topic about frames & foundation.i really appreciate it.
after reading some on Mr. Bush's' site i may just try baggie feeding.the only reason i want to feed is to help build up my packages.i hope they can build up and i can leave the stores with them.i dont care if i get any honey the first year or maybe even the first few years as i want to increase the number of colonies first.
thanks again,
T.J.
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I have used them all. I have only used division board feeders the last several years. Easy to use. Easy to fill. No buckets of empty baggies to keep up with. I had a problem with sugar ants getting into the top feeders. Also the cost of them with growing numbers of hives. Division board feeders were much cheaper.
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AllenF,
thanks for the info.i appreciate it.
i guess the only way to really know is to do like you and try them all.
i have also found that there are not that many medium division board feeders to choose from.i found one in the Kelly's catalog with a wire insert that takes the place of two frames.i may order a couple of them and try them out.
if i do that i will basically be starting the packages out in a 6 frame medium nuc.wonder how that would work?
thanks again,
T.J.
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I use division board feeders on my week hives and jars on the top of my strong ones.
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of the two which do you prefer and why when installing packages?
thanks,
T.J.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/feeder-compare/ (http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/feeder-compare/)
My prefer is the inverted jar provides access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of temperature. The bees can cluster right up to the bottom of the feeder and continue to feed without breaking cluster.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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I use hive top feeders - easy to refill without opening up the hive, fewer spills, hold fairly large amounts. The wooden ones tend to mildew.
I like the inverted bucket feeders even better (hold even more, easier to clean) but I use horizontal hives with migratory tops - no inner cover to rest them on!
The biggest commercial keeper in my area swears by division board feeders, and I've seen him leave them filled next to a cluster over winter. They tend to drown a lot of bees initially, but eventually the corpses form a raft. Looks like they work fine but I have too many hives scattered across the county to want to make that many refilling trips.
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thanks for all the help.i appreciate it.
the guy i am getting some of my packages from has talked about using buckets.i just wasn't sure how that worked.i guess i need to talk to him some more & see just how exactly they work....what size,etc.
thanks again,
T.J.
edit to add:Jim134 - thanks for the link.good info there.