Dual-Access Hive-top Feeder

Click for a diagram of features

What is "bee loss"?
The term "bee loss" in this case refers to bees drowning in the syrup inside the feeder reservoir.  Bee loss commonly occurs in feeders for two reasons.  First, bees actually fly into the syrup inside the screened feeding area, and many times they are not able to get out of the syrup.  The liquid covers their trachea and they drown.  The second reason bee loss occurs is that bees external to the hive gain access to the feeding reservoir from outside.  Almost every beehive top cover will warp enough to allow bees and other insects to get under the cover.  External bees then fly into the syrup inside the reservoir and drown.

Moldy Syrup

Why is this a problem?
You should do everything possible to minimize bee loss for several reasons:

Accumulated dead bees will foul the syrup so that your honeybees will no longer take it. A high incidence of bee loss requires much more frequent cleaning of the feeder. Each bee that drowns in the syrup is one less bee to support the colony's brood and honey production. Dead, rotting bees attract ants and other insects into the hive.

How does the Dual-Access Hive-top Feeder solve this problem?
We have researched and tested various methods of preventing honeybees flying into the syrup inside the feeder.  Our findings have indicated that a combination of features are necessary to minimize bee loss, which are now incorporated into every feeder we sell:

Slots minimize bee loss Feeding-area gaps are just large enough for bees to crawl in, so the small gap size discourages bees from flying inside the feeding area.  They will sometimes fly anyway, but not anywhere as often as in other feeder designs.  Our feeding area sizes have been designed and tested to achieve the optimal balance between maximum bee access and flight prevention.

Top Screening prevents external bee access The entire top of the feeder is protected by additional screening to prevent external bees from gaining access to the syrup reservoir from outside the hive.  External "robber" bees are field bees that are much more prone to fly than normal worker bees.  The interior of the syrup reservoir (outside the normal feeding areas) is where most bee loss occurs in other feeder designs.  This top-screening design not only prevents external bee access, but makes it very convenient and enjoyable to simply open the top cover, inspect your feeder and the bees, and refill it with sugar syrup.

Dual-Access Hive-top Feeder
Honey-B-Healthy

^{Copyright © 2002-2008 All Rights Reserved.}