Feeder Comparison
Sep 27th, 2007 by Robo
There are always discussions as to which feeder is “the best”, but like everything else in beekeeping, there is no one best solution for every situation and location. I have taken the most popular feeder options and rated them in different categories. I make no implication that categories are of equal importance, but leave it up to each beekeeper to decide importance of each. Feeders are rated in comparison to each other on a scale of one to five, with one being the worst, and five being the best. Keep in mind, these are my personal opinions and views, yours may be different.
| Boardman | Division Board | Inverted Jar/Can | Miller Hive Top | Pail | |
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| Robbing/Ants |
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| Bee Access |
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| Drowning |
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| Inspections |
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| Capacity |
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| Cost |
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Boardman Entrance Feeder
Ease of Use:
Boardman feeders are the simplest to use, no manipulation of the hive is necessary.
Robbing and Ant issues:
Although ants seem to be less of an issue as the bees tend to keep them away from the lid of the jar, Boardman feeders are the worst when it comes to robbing. It is impossible to install a Boardman feeder without spilling some syrup on the hive or ground, which is an attractant for robbing bees. If you use any essential oils or Honey-B-Healthy, it becomes even worse.
Bee Access:
Being external to the hive, the weather has to be warm enough for the bees to fly for them to get to the syrup. This can be a real downfall in the early Spring when the weather is bad and your bees need the feed.
Bee Drowning:
One good aspect of the feeder being outside the hive, is that it is next to impossible for bees to drown. Even if it does leak, the bees can avoid it.
Hive Inspections:
Being located at the entrance, it does not impede hive inspections.
Capacity:
Boardman feeders are mainly used with quart mason jars, but 5lb. glass honey jars can be used. Betterbee does sell a plastic Boardman-like feeder that has a much higher capacity.
Cost:
Boardman feeders are relatively cheap when you supply your own mason jars.
Division Board Feeder
Ease of Use:
Division board feeders require a little more effort to use. You have to open up the hive to install and fill them. One trick is to put the feeder right against the side of the hive and when you go to fill or inspect, slide the super above it over enough just to expose the feeder.
Robbing and Ant issues:
Since the feeder is inside the hive, the bees can easily protect it from ants and robbing.
Bee Access:
Being internal to the hive, the bees readily hav access to the feeder. I do question how likely it is that the bees will feed from it while clustered, like the inverted feeders, especially if it is placed next to the hive wall. Since it is located in the core of the nest, it is the least susceptible to freezing as well.
Bee Drowning:
Division board feeders are by far the worst when it comes to bee drowning. You can use floats or ladders to help reduce the drowning, but it can become a chore at times keeping these devices working properly.
Hive Inspections:
Most inspections are usually not hindered by division board feeders.
Capacity:
Division board feeders typically hold about 3 quarts.
Cost:
Division board feeders cost ~$5 each.
Inverted Jar / Friction Lid Can Feeder
Ease of Use:
The inverted Jar/Can is not much more work than the Boardman feeder. A gallon glass jar full of syrup is still quite manageable even for those who are not strong. It usually does require the use on an extra empty super when placed inverted on the inner cover hole, or frame tops.
Robbing and Ant issues:
Like the Boardman feeder, the exposed access to the syrup is minimal. But the added advantage with the inverted jar/can is that access is only from within the hive, so the bees can easily guard and protect it.
Bee Access:
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. The reason I gave the division board feeder a slightly higher ranking is that the inverted jar/can is more likely to freeze since it is not in the core of the hive like the division board feeder. This really isn’t an issue in my mind though. If the weather is cold enough for the extended period of time that would be need to freeze the syrup, it is most likely not the time to be feeding syrup and adding additional moisture to the hive.
Bee Drowning:
Drowning is not an issue as the bees can’t get into the syrup. Yes there is the rare occasion that you don’t get the lid sealed properly and the inverted jar/can leaks out and soaks the bees under it. This is more likely with the friction top cans than glass jars. I personally prefer the glass jars over cans because the lids are easier to deal with and you don’t have to deal with rust.
Hive Inspections:
Hive inspections aren’t too bad. Yes you have to remove the empty super and feeder, but most of the time the feeder is less than half full, so it is easily removed and set aside.
Capacity:
The Gallon glass jar doesn’t hold as much as the pail feeders or Miller-type hive top feeders, but usually provide enough syrup to last a while, but not long enough to let it get too moldy. You can always put more than one on a hive at a time if needed.
Cost:
FREE!!!! At least the gallon glass jars are. You can get them from your local deli. I guess you can get used paint cans too, but I don’t think the wife would go for putting them through the dishwasher like the pickle jars. One note of caution, only use glass. The plastic ones are too flimsy and will leak on the bees.
Miller-type Hive Top Feeder
Ease of Use:
The hive top feeders are the biggest and bulkiest to deal with. Like the division board feeder, you need to transport the syrup in a seperate container, only bigger since it holds much more syrup, and you have to lift these larger containers higher to fill the hive top feeder. Miller-type feeders are best when used for making comb honey or feeding honey back to cut-outs.
Robbing and Ant issues:
Robbing can be an issue if you don’t have a tight sealing lid on top. However, ants seems to be the bigger problem, as they can get through smaller cracks than bees, and there is a large pool of syrup that the bees can not patrol. It can sometimes be a futal effort trying to stop ants from getting into a hive top feeder once they find it.
Bee Access:
Hive top feeder are only slightly better than the Boardman feeders. They require the weather to be warm enough for the bees to freely move and break cluster to feed. This may not be an issue for folks in the South, but this is a real drawback for Northern beekeepers in the Spring when the weather only warms up enough in the early afternoon. Spring is the time of the year when the bees need the syrup the most to prevent starvation and they may only be able to get access to it for a few hours and depending on the weather, may not have access for days or weeks at a time.
Bee Drowning:
Like the division board feeder, one has to work at preventing drowning with the hive top feeder. You have to limit the bee access to the pool of syrup by some type of screen or plastic excluder. A ladder or float is also helpful at times. You have to keep an eye on these restriction devices, a simple bent corner on a screen can lead to massive bee drowning. I guess there is also the slight possiblity of damaging the hive top feeder and a leak devloping that dumps large amounts of syrup onto the bees.
Hive Inspections:
Hive inspections definately need to be planned around feeder refilling as it is next to impossible to remove a feeder that is more than half full without spilling, which increases chances of robbing. It can be real troublesome if you need to take a quick check or the bees aren’t consuming the syrup as fast as you anticipated.
Capacity:
Hive top feeder capacity differs by manufacturer, but most hold between 2 and 3 gallons.
Cost:
Hive top feeder have the highest cost of all feeders. They range in price from $12 to $35 depending on the design.
Pail Feeder
Ease of Use:
Robbing and Ant issues:
Bee Access:
Bee Drowning:
Hive Inspections:
Capacity:
Cost:
For the most part, the pail feeder is quite similar to the inverted jar with the obivious differences of capacity, weight, cost and associated effects of these differences. The one not so obvious, but perhaps the biggest difference is the fact that the pails are made out of plastic. Plastic pail feeders should not be used when there are large fluctuations in daily temperatures as the expansion and contraction of the syrup causes the pail to flex and pump the syrup out onto the bees.
you are right about the feeders, i have made the inside feeder and it does not work as well as feedind with the .the glass jar wokes better from the top. i use to live in nyc .i lived in florida, now in east tn.
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I swear by the hive top feeder but only after modifying them by adding window screen to the tops so I can refill them yet the yellow jackets and ants don’t have access to the syrup. I got mine from another source and they are wood, not plastic and have a single access on one end-not a center access. The “open” top was almost unusable due to these other pests before I put the screen on. I can rip it off if cleaning is required and I have a ton of screen so replacing it is not costly-just a staple hammer. I don’t have a large number of hives so it may not be the choice for “real” apiaries.
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Abigail Reply:
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Can you tell me what type of top feeder you’re using? I’m about to get two hives. I had one hive that died this year. The Boardman feeder is easy, but I have a problem with robbers and with 2 hives, I’m guessing it’s going to take more time filling, replacing, cleaning the qt. jars not to mention being tied to the hives so I can’t leave for a few days during feeding times (new hives, droughts). Brushy Mountain has a wooden one that’s advertised as being “the best feeder on the market”…
Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated. This novice needs it!. Thanks
abigail
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I like the hive top feeder since I am away from my hives and need the volume of sugar syrup to last. Mine has the plastic insert with the bees coming up the middle of the feeder with a wire mesh to contain them when refilling. I did have a small ant problem, but with advice from other bee keepers I used a little cinnamon powder on the inner cover and no more ants. The bees also filled the open area under the cover with burr comb and I turned the feeder over and covered with foam paper and poked holes around the paper to spray in some of the “Great Stuff” foam to fill the void. I stuffed news paper in the channel where the bees need to run to get to the syrup to prevent the foam from filling that space. I later removed the news paper after the foam had cured. This also added extra insulation with still enough airflow for ventilation in the winter.
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Abigail Reply:
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I want to go to a top feeder this year. I’ve seen how it’s installed for cool weather; however, I live in the South and lost my hive this year to chalkbrood virus (caused from poor air circulation in the hive). So instead of the telescope innercover, I’ve made a screen (used window screen to keep out the hive beetles we’re plagued with here). Got any ideas as to how I can use a gallon jug or top feeder and keep the screen? Thank you.
abigail
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Anne Fraser Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Abigail, I just got some Imirie shims (basically a 3/4″ frame the same footprint as a super) and stapled screen over it, you can put this on top of any hive-top feeder or under the telescoping cover for hive ventilation.
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When using an inverted jar how big / how many holes do you punch in it? I’m getting my first package in May so I’m trying to sort out all of the details. Would you feed syrup or candy to a newly installed package?
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Robo Reply:
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 am
When using an inverted jar how big / how many holes do you punch in it?
It depends on the size of the jar/lid, but I usually use a dozen or so. For quart mason jars, I just use a small nail, but for the gallon pickle jars I drill 1/16″ holes. I consider mason jar lids disposable when they get dirty/moldy. Pickle jar lids, on the other had are hard to come by, so cleaning is in order which is easier with smooth drilled holes verses the hanging sharp chads from using a nail to make holes
I’m getting my first package in May so I’m trying to sort out all of the details. Would you feed syrup or candy to a newly installed package?
Definitely syrup. With candy, the bees will need to collect and haul water to dilute the candy to feed. Candy is good for winter when hive moisture is an issue. For packages, you might want to use quart jars and refill daily so you can keep an eye on the consumption. If the weather is still cool, providing warm syrup daily is best and a quart jar is most convenient for this. Place it over the inner cover hole so you don’t have to open up and expose the frames to change/fill. An empty medium super works with quart jars, and a deep super works with gallon jars.
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I’ve been using ziplock bags and want to build a feeder using a gallon jar or can. I bought a gallon paint can from Lowes and punched a few small holes in the can lid. I tried it with water and it seemed to be leaking. Do you think Mason jars would work? I used a very small nail to punch the holes. Do you think the thinker syrup would stay in the can better?
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I use either gallon pickle jars or quart mason jars without any issues. See previous comment for details.
You will get some amount of dripping when the jar is first inverted until a vacuum is formed. The amount of dripping depends on the number and size of holes in the lid. I usually invert the jar over the inner cover (not over the hole) and let it drip on the cover so the bees can clean it up. Once it stops dripping (seconds), I place it over the inner cover hole.
Friction top lid cans work, but getting the lids air tight is much more temperamental than jars.
rob…
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I use the Miller type top feeder and agree with your assessment. Mine are getting lots of mold in them too. I am thinking of trying the gallon jar feeder, but I have a couple of questions. When you remove the jar, aren’t there a lot of bees clinging to the lid and don’t they well out into the top area? Wouldn’t that be a problem when you replace the jar?
Second, do you think it is possible/desirable to put a wire mesh on the inner cover to keep the bees in? But would it then break the surface tension of the droplets and leak onto the bees?
PS. Great bee vac idea. I’m going to try it.
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Robo Reply:
June 7th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
When you remove the jar, aren’t there a lot of bees clinging to the lid and don’t they well out into the top area?
If the jar is empty there are only a few bees at most. If there is still some syrup, you may get a dozen or so bees clinging to it. But a quick jerk clears them. I usually either leave the jar to one side so part of the inner cover hole is exposed, or prop the jar on two 3/8″ spacers so he bees can walk between it and the inner cover.
Wouldn’t that be a problem when you replace the jar?
Not really, they usually disperse n their on or can be easily persuaded off so you can remove the lid.
Second, do you think it is possible/desirable to put a wire mesh on the inner cover to keep the bees in?
It is possible and does work, but I find it not necessary. As ong as it is not super cold out, I let the bees have access to the area around the jar. The then keep the empty super free of pests like ants, spiders, and earwigs.
But would it then break the surface tension of the droplets and leak onto the bees?
No it will work fine, but they will usually propolize it once the jar is empty, so yo need to keep on top of it.
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Ray Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 10:00 am
“I let the bees have access to the area around the jar. The then keep the empty super free of pests like ants, spiders, and earwigs.”
If you let the bees into the empty box around the jar, don’t they build burr comb in the box? I can see the advantage of ventilation, of course.
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Robo Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
If you let the bees into the empty box around the jar, don’t they build burr comb in the box?
I have been letting the bees have access to the area above the inner cover for year, whether it be a vent box, or an empty super for a feeder jar, and have never had them build comb up there. The inner cover provides a barrier and the bees don’t like to split the nest. Of course, if you really cramp them, you could get them to build comb there, but if they have sufficient room below, they will resist the urge.
rob…
Can you tell me what type of top feeder you're using? I'm about to get two hives. I had one hive that died this year. The Boardman feeder id easy, but I have a problem with robbers and with 2 hives, I'm guessing it's going to take more time filling, replacing, cleaning the qt. jars not to mention being tied to the hives so I can't leave for a few days during feeding times (new hives, droughts). Brushy Mountain has a wooden one that's advertided as being "the best fedder on the market"…
Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated. This novice needs it!. Thanks
abigail;
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Robo Reply:
September 19th, 2009 at 7:45 am
When I feed syrup I use glass one gallon pickle jars inverted over the inner cover. If you need to leave them for a long time, you can put up to 4 gallon jars on 3/8″ shims on the innercover. I have found no easier/cheaper/better way to feed syrup.
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I bought 5 top feeders from brushy mountain last year the wooden ones with the floats in them they did’nt seem to pose a drowning problem and held a lot of syrup. They do expose you to the bees when filling but this did’nt seem to be a problem as the bees seemed to ignor me. Have you tried these and what if any is your opinion of them.
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Robo Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Hi Robert,
I haven’t used that particular one, but glad to hear you don’t have a drowning issue. Although drowning is a big issue, it is only one of the inherent disadvantage (at least to me) of all Miller-type feeders.
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