Be aware of the robbing at the moment. In hive feeders are best at this time. use straps etc to seal any gaps between bases & boxes, reduce entrances, definately reduce entrances, don't worry, the bees can handle one small entry hole. You could always distract the robbers with an open feeder placed at the other end of the property, when feeding your own bees. ps, the more you allow bees to clean comb, used honey equipment, open feed etc, the more they will sniff around the property for an easy meal. This will make feeding your own bees harder and may start a frenzy if not conducted thoughtfully.
I use the inner cover feeder on a nuc hive. Same system you described. But I put screen wire on cover hole so bees can't come out when I remove the jar. Like that system too
Good morning Trevor, I would find a video by yourself on when to feed syrup, and when to feed candy, plus the benefits/disadvantages of both, very useful.
+Trevor Gillbanks www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/product/FD-110.html yes but different style. It's a wire mesh. Gives bees something to climb on like a ladder. Keeps them from drowning. And keeps them from coming out at you. It's better I believe than type you use just for the fact there is a lot more area fore bees to feed at once.
Hi Trevor, I have some single box hives that are a bit light on bees heading toward winter, I was just going to feed them for the next few weeks little and often until the queen stops laying. Is 2:1 ratio fine? What would you recommend?
Trev, with the Paradise Honey Beebox system on 8 frame boxes they have feeders available, but they're 40 bucks and shouldn't be required after the colony is established. I'm thinking of instead making up a top board from some 5 mm Corflute with a hole in it and using a jar feeder inside a spare super. I can then use the same basic principle to clean the stickies after extraction. Would that work and is the Corflute strong enough to be able to pry it off in that instance? Otherwise what other materials are suitable for top boards? I'm not sure what chemicals are used in products like Masonite, plywood, or MDF that may not be compatible with bees. Normally we're trying to keep insects away! Aus and NZ should be very similar in that regard.
Thanks Trev, I really appreciate your very patient help and advice. Yes the Paradise system is not cheap here, but it is what it is and I guess the only alternative is to vote with one's feet and stay with conventional boxes. I do like the concept of their system however. I was just speaking with the local bee supplier (I bought a new jacket, sorry no suit for me) and he cautioned not to overfeed the bees when they're becoming established or they will be filling up too many cells with the syrup and the queen won't have enough space for brood. 500 ml/day was appropriate if I recall correctly. Once my Paradise boxes arrive I will see if a conventional top board fits and feed through that with either a small bucket/lid or a conventional top feeder. The cost isn't the only consideration, the colony shouldn't need feeding here once established so a feeder won't be used for long. We intend to move interstate and it's almost certain we will need to leave some/most/all beekeeping equipment behind when we go due quarantine restrictions. No point in accumulating more crap than necessary. Keep up the great work, you've been a terrific assistance. I'm all out of stupid questions for now ;)
Hi trev i have watched this video before and after went out and bought a top feeder ,i dont think we have ecrotec here in aus but we do have ceracell so as per usual getting ready i bought one , i did find that the feeder outer frame seems to be a bit smaller (only a few mm) than the hive boxes bit annoying actually as it is not neat fit i read that bees can drink up to 4 liters a day .
@@EcrotekBeekeepingSupplies1 Hi trev they must have updated the model as it has the centre section as well as the corners , soyou get the best of both worlds someone did say they had listened to what people had wanted ,maybe they wanted the centre peice.
Enjoying your vids Trevor. A question about the plywood you're using. I heard you have to be careful of plywood made with insecticides/etc in the glue. What is the name to ask for (or avoid) when buying plywood in NZ? Is "untreated" enough, or is there a H value to ask for?
Be aware of the robbing at the moment. In hive feeders are best at this time. use straps etc to seal any gaps between bases & boxes, reduce entrances, definately reduce entrances, don't worry, the bees can handle one small entry hole.
You could always distract the robbers with an open feeder placed at the other end of the property, when feeding your own bees.
ps, the more you allow bees to clean comb, used honey equipment, open feed etc, the more they will sniff around the property for an easy meal. This will make feeding your own bees harder and may start a frenzy if not conducted thoughtfully.
I use the inner cover feeder on a nuc hive. Same system you described. But I put screen wire on cover hole so bees can't come out when I remove the jar. Like that system too
Good morning Trevor, I would find a video by yourself on when to feed syrup, and when to feed candy, plus the benefits/disadvantages of both, very useful.
Thanks Trevor very informative.
Just started sing top feeders too. Really liking them so far. Bought them from mannlake here in the states
+Trevor Gillbanks www.mannlakeltd.com/beekeeping-supplies/product/FD-110.html yes but different style. It's a wire mesh. Gives bees something to climb on like a ladder. Keeps them from drowning. And keeps them from coming out at you. It's better I believe than type you use just for the fact there is a lot more area fore bees to feed at once.
Nice tricks, thanks for up load
Hi Trevor, I have some single box hives that are a bit light on bees heading toward winter, I was just going to feed them for the next few weeks little and often until the queen stops laying. Is 2:1 ratio fine? What would you recommend?
Trev, with the Paradise Honey Beebox system on 8 frame boxes they have feeders available, but they're 40 bucks and shouldn't be required after the colony is established. I'm thinking of instead making up a top board from some 5 mm Corflute with a hole in it and using a jar feeder inside a spare super. I can then use the same basic principle to clean the stickies after extraction. Would that work and is the Corflute strong enough to be able to pry it off in that instance? Otherwise what other materials are suitable for top boards? I'm not sure what chemicals are used in products like Masonite, plywood, or MDF that may not be compatible with bees. Normally we're trying to keep insects away! Aus and NZ should be very similar in that regard.
Thanks Trev, I really appreciate your very patient help and advice. Yes the Paradise system is not cheap here, but it is what it is and I guess the only alternative is to vote with one's feet and stay with conventional boxes. I do like the concept of their system however. I was just speaking with the local bee supplier (I bought a new jacket, sorry no suit for me) and he cautioned not to overfeed the bees when they're becoming established or they will be filling up too many cells with the syrup and the queen won't have enough space for brood. 500 ml/day was appropriate if I recall correctly. Once my Paradise boxes arrive I will see if a conventional top board fits and feed through that with either a small bucket/lid or a conventional top feeder. The cost isn't the only consideration, the colony shouldn't need feeding here once established so a feeder won't be used for long. We intend to move interstate and it's almost certain we will need to leave some/most/all beekeeping equipment behind when we go due quarantine restrictions. No point in accumulating more crap than necessary. Keep up the great work, you've been a terrific assistance. I'm all out of stupid questions for now ;)
Where do you get the metal tops for your hive great video
Hi Trev, love your videos. What is your stance on hive ventilation during winter and summer? Maybe a video with some suggestions. Thanks
Thank you Trevor
Do I need to put the hive mat on top of the top feeder and then the lid?
Hi trev i have watched this video before and after went out and bought a top feeder ,i dont think we have ecrotec here in aus but we do have ceracell so as per usual getting ready i bought one , i did find that the feeder outer frame seems to be a bit smaller (only a few mm) than the hive boxes bit annoying actually as it is not neat fit i read that bees can drink up to 4 liters a day .
@@EcrotekBeekeepingSupplies1 I just went to my local bee guy looking at it i think the ceracell is better has more options for the bees to feed .
@@EcrotekBeekeepingSupplies1 Hi trev they must have updated the model as it has the centre section as well as the corners , soyou get the best of both worlds someone did say they had listened to what people had wanted ,maybe they wanted the centre peice.
Enjoying your vids Trevor. A question about the plywood you're using. I heard you have to be careful of plywood made with insecticides/etc in the glue. What is the name to ask for (or avoid) when buying plywood in NZ? Is "untreated" enough, or is there a H value to ask for?
Hi Trev, do the Bee tek feeders come in both 8 and 10 frame box sizes ?
Trevor
What mix do you use for your sugar syrup? Great videos
Hi Trevor, is the mixture 2 parts sugar:1 part water by weight or by volume? ps. I really enjoy your channel, keep it up!