Feeding through top cover question

[Pond Creek Farm]

I am considering using mason jars to feed in the spring with both nucs and packages.  I am really ignorant as to the many different methods of feeding and their advantages and purposes.  I have seen frame feeders, miller feeders, boardman feeders, baggie feeding and now I am considering drilling a hole in the top cover and simply inverting a mason jar with holes in the tab top to allow feed to flow on demand.  I like the idea of not disturbing the hive to change feed and the ability to quickly recognize if my feed is low.  Do any of you see any issues with having an exposd jar above the out cover?  I would think it could warm up quicker in the sun, but can also cool off faster in the open air and wind.  I would think a board and a rock could cover the hole when not in use.  Thoughts? 

[Brian D. Bray]

I am considering using mason jars to feed in the spring with both nucs and packages.  I am really ignorant as to the many different methods of feeding and their advantages and purposes.  I have seen frame feeders, miller feeders, boardman feeders, baggie feeding and now I am considering drilling a hole in the top cover and simply inverting a mason jar with holes in the tab top to allow feed to flow on demand.  I like the idea of not disturbing the hive to change feed and the ability to quickly recognize if my feed is low.  Do any of you see any issues with having an exposd jar above the out cover?  I would think it could warm up quicker in the sun, but can also cool off faster in the open air and wind.  I would think a board and a rock could cover the hole when not in use.  Thoughts? 

Use the jar lid to draw a circle in the center of you magritory top.  Drill and cut it out with a jigsaw.  Punch small holes in the jar lid (a #4 nail used so that the pyrmid shape is there with a very small hole at the end), mix you syrup, invert the jar and place in the cutout hole.  Don't invert the jar over the hole do it before you move it over the hive.  To conver up the hole when not feeding use either a small square of wood or a blank cover for electric light junction boxes.

[sc-bee]

You can also make feeder tops out of luan-- 1/4 plywood etc., Cut to the size you need and add a shim/spacer around the sides (all four). Mark and cut hole in center. When through feeding if you like leave cover in place like an inner cover and place migratory cover --- telescoping cover over top of feeder top. Keep in place until feeding season is over then remove feeder top and replace with desired top.

In colder climates you may still need to place an empty super on top to protect from possible freezing. I have not had to worry about that in my climate.

Why cut holes in your good tops? I do like the blank junction box idea however. It depends on how often you move your hives :-D!

[Natalie]

There is another thread on here about those feeder covers, justgojumpit makes them as well.
Maybe you can talk to him about it.

[jdpro5010]

I have always been a little leary of feeding this way.  I feel it is just asking for trouble with moisture anytime it rains whether the feeder is in use or not.  I will also say I have never done it for just that reason so I could be wrong. :-D

[KONASDAD]

Feeders and feeding techniques are as varied as the beekeepers themselves. I like hive top feeders. They hold a lot and if prepared properly, dont kill many bees. One advantage to feeding w/ jars on a migratory top is being able to see how much syrup is left. Commercial beeks like this advantage. They drive into their yrad and at a glance, can see which hives need filling. Personaly cant stand frame feeders, but they are needed for nucs. Wont use boardman as it prmotes robbing. Baggies are also xcellent easy and cheap.
Lately I have been open feeding which can promote robbing if it runs out. I just pour into pail, throw grass on top and walk away.

[justgojumpit]

Bees will propolize around the edge of the hole, so you won't have too much trouble with rain coming in!

justgojumpit

[rast]

 Inverted feeders. My bees are taking a qt. a day. The hives w/qt. mason jars are running me crazy for the last 2 weeks. Use something bigger. I have some with the plastic 1 gal buckets like the commercials around here use.
 I have a 1 1/2 hole on my covers, offset to the side, away from the brood comb. The ones with the qt. jars have a block of 1x4 with a hole cut in it to fit the jar lids. The ones with the 1 gal feeders, I make sure the holes in the lids are on the "downhill" side of the hole in the cover. I haven't had any problems except with some leaky seals on any of them. The leaky seals still airlock, just gets bees all around the lid on the feeders. I use finishing nails to put my holes in the lids, like Brian said, from the inside out. I find it less hassle from the bees to change/refill them at night. Grab it, brush the bees on the lid to the cover, refill it, they have all retreated back into hole when I come back with it. Also, if I have to change in the daytime, I invert the feeder over the hole so it syrups the bees that are pouring out of the cover hole. I squish fewer bees :( that way when setting it down and get beebit less :). I don't have a rain/moisture problem, It seems to run around the blocks and lids. I also just put the metal AC duct tape on the inside and out side of the holes when not feeding. Guaranteed proped over in no time.
 

[Two Bees]

I use 1 gallon glass jars with metal lids that a cafe gives to me for FREE!  Don't use plastic gallon jars since they don't create a good vacuum when inverted. 

You can punch several (10-15) small holes in the metal lid in the configuration of the oval inner cover hole, fill the jar with your favorite syrup, put the lid on tight, invert the jar BEFORE placing on the hive to allow it to build up a vacuum, and then place directly over the inner cover hole.  Place an empty deep hive body on top of the inner cover and then, the top cover.  When you want to see how much they are consuming, just sneak a peek under the top cover!

I built an inner cover and cut two holes that are a little smaller than the jar lid and stapled some #8 hardware cloth over the holes to prevent bees from flying out of the hive when I am changing the syrup jar.  With the larger inner cover holes, I can punch my lid holes in a much larger pattern and feed more!

If you need to get a lot of syrup in the hive at one time, you can build an inner cover with four, jar-sized holes (one in each corner) and feed four 1 gallon jars of syrup at at time.  You can also do the same by placing the 1 gallon jars directly over the top bars of the hive (without an inner cover) and feed a lot of syrup this way.

With any configuration of 1 gallon jars, you cover them with an empty deep hive body and top cover.  And then, you favorite rock or block, of course!