A bee feeder is an integral part of beekeeping. Today it is not difficult to find and buy it. It is a special device for feeding bees. There are many varieties of them, but the main rule is that such a feeder be accessible to bees, namely, it has a special inlet that allows insects to get inside.
They are made of wood, stainless steel, ceramics, glass or plastic (from non-oxidizing materials).
A do-it-yourself feeder for bees can be as high quality and convenient as a store feeder. Despite the fact that its independent manufacture requires a lot of effort, but this will significantly reduce cash costs. Of course, to buy ready-made feeders for bees is much easier, but is there complete confidence that they are really high quality? Therefore, it is better to do everything yourself. The design of the feeders is different: they can be in the form of a box, made of a plastic bottle, as well as ceiling, outdoor, etc.
Frame feeder
This is an open container. In the hive it is placed on special ledges on the upper slats. In size, it resembles a bee frame, but it is slightly wider (about 4-5 cm). Sugar syrup is poured through a funnel. There is a grill inside the feeder to prevent the bees from drowning in the liquid.
Overframe for bees
It is installed above the frames, so the nest of bees completely blocks. They will not be able to fly away during feeding. The feeder consists of several compartments, one of which is for passage, and sugar syrup is poured in the others.
If you do not want to build feeders for bees, then you can simply install ordinary glass jars.
Bee feeder ceiling
It is a rectangular container, inside of which there are vertical partitions. Thanks to such a rather simple and very convenient design, bees do not drown in syrup. Due to the fact that the swarm of bees heats the food, it does not cool down in the feeder. In addition, you can control its consumption. If you make such a feeder for bees with your own hands, then in the frame you should install a canvas in which to cut a small gap through which the bees can fly inside. The box is covered with a pillow and glass. To add feed, the glass simply slides back. For beehives consisting of several buildings, such a feeder for bees is hung in August. At this time, expressed citrus is placed in it. Bees in a manger build cells from honeycombs. In December, dissolved honey is poured, the syrup is poured every 2 weeks when checking the nests.
Outdoor feeder
It is considered one of the most convenient designs. It is a dense box, fixed to the rear wall of the hive. The top feeder is closed by a hinged lid. For the free entry of bees into the hive, a hole is made in its rear wall. A bowl is installed in the drawer where the feed is poured, a raft is placed on top so that the insects do not sink. The disadvantage of such a feeder is that the food in it freezes quickly, after which bees will not be able to eat it.
As a frame
Such a feeder for bees is very convenient. Like ordinary nesting frames, it is placed in the evidence, separated by a board and insulated. Before using the structure, it is necessary to process it with hot linseed oil. This allows you to systematically feed the bees. The main problem of such feeders is the difficulty of care and its installation in the nest.
Plastic bottle feeder
The use of plastic bottles is considered the most economical and easiest option for manufacturing feeders. For this, it is advisable to take dark and 2-liter bottles. A bottle feeder for bees is made as follows:
- The nail is heated over a fire and a hole with a diameter of 1.5 millimeters is made in a plastic bottle. A lot of holes can be made, because the more there are, the faster the bees will pick up the syrup. If extra holes come out, then they are simply sealed with tape. So, you can stretch the amount of syrup for a long time.
- All holes are sealed with tape. This must be done before filling the feeder with syrup.
- A hole is made using a chisel on the ceiling in the hive, where a bottle is then horizontally placed.
- Excess adhesive tape is removed, holes open.
A homemade plastic bee feeder has the following advantages:
- cheapness;
- ease of care;
- simple manufacture;
- suitable for hives with a low roof;
- the ability to adjust the number of holes and the feed rate of the syrup using tape.
Can feeder
Before making a bee feeder, you need to look at what materials are available. A good feeder is obtained from cans from canned food.
- The can is washed and dried.
- Pouring diluted water with honey or syrup.
- Top covered with gauze or cotton cloth.
- The fabric is fixed with an elastic band.
- The finished feeder is turned upside down and is located above the frames above the nest. For more convenient access to food, the feeder rises, for which the bars are laid for the appearance of small gaps.
- You can put moss in the feeder, and cover it with wooden sticks from above, so the bees can conveniently get honey.
It is better to take small and wide cans. Such material has some advantages: thin walls that conduct heat well do not allow the feed to cool quickly. Such feeders are also easy to care for, easy to wash, you just need to boil and use again.
Styrofoam feeder
The feeder has a very simple design, and any novice beekeeper can do it:
- A conical container made of food-grade plastic with a diameter of 20 cm is selected.
- A disk 3 cm thick is cut out of the foam (through the opening of the container). For cutting, you can use a wire, a blade blade or a heated knife. You need to take good material, you can take the polystyrene used for packaging equipment or furniture, but it is better not to touch the loose building polystyrene. In this case, the material should not have a smell.
- The disk is adjusted to the container so that their surfaces are in the same plane.
- On the outside of the disc, grooves are melted using a heated metal rod. They should be perpendicular to each other. The width of the grooves is 5 mm, and the same distance between them.
- Several 7-mm holes are made in the center of the disk, and four grooves 5 mm wide and deep on the sides.
- When making a large feeder or using a not very strong foam, a spacer is installed between the bottom of the tank and the disk. It can be made from a plastic bottle in which to cut off the neck and bottom. As a result, a cylinder will come out, along the edges of which a groove is made, through which air and feed pass.
- A filter is made. To do this, chintz is used, from which a circle is cut a few centimeters more than the diameter of the container. The feed is placed in the feeder, and the fabric is fixed with an elastic band, all the folds are straightened, and it turns upside down. It is established over a baking sheet on racks. When the syrup is poured, it means the fabric is very thin, if the surface remains dry - very dense. Ideally, a small amount of syrup (about 1 tbsp.) Flows first through the tissue.
Naturally, the feeder can simply be purchased at the store, however, in the absence of financial means, its independent production is the most optimal solution. In addition, self-manufacturing has its own significant advantages: it does not require large expenditures of time and money. Using your imagination, you can make an original and beautiful feeding trough. After all, the main thing is to make sure that the bees do not need anything, and wait for spring in favorable conditions.