I wanted to share with everyone a simple TBH feeder I made. It is easy to clean and only takes up four bars of space. It can be used to feed syrup or fondant. I hope this helps someone and inspire others to make an even better one.
To start I bought a 16-cup storage dispenser for cereal from Walmart and cut off the top 3 1/2 inches. Cost was around $3.50. The purpose was to have a feeder with as few parts and seams that would need sealing. I didn't want to worry about leaking and it needed to be easy to remove and clean.
I measured and drew a template of the container on a follower board. I used three pieces of scrap wood to serve as a frame holder for the container. They are glued and screwed in place.
I then cut out a section of the container to serve as an entrance to the food source. This plastic was difficult to cut with a utility knife. It is also easy to crack in the wrong place with too much force. I ended up using a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel which made it easy and accurate.
Next I added a fourth piece of scrap wood cut to fit to hold the container in place. It also acts as a platform for the bees.
I then made a floating platform for the bees cut to fit and not allow the bees to drown. It has five stations drilled halfway through with a hole in the middle for the bees to feed. It will be coated in beeswax to make it waterproof.
Finally I made a top board for it. It is 17 inches long a 4 bars wide. Because of the pieces of wood that make the sides of the frame, this top board is not necessary as the feeder can just sit in the feeder and you could use four regular bars to cover it. However, this top board cover allows for easy refilling without disturbing the bees. It also has a cover to prevent unwanted guests from getting in.
That's all there is to it! Here's what it looks like in the hive.
Topic: Simple to make Top Bar Hive Feeder (Read 13159 times)