The Dual-Access Hive-top Feeder sits atop the hive, directly underneath the top cover, as shown at left.  You may easily lift the top cover to check or refill the feeder without disturbing the hive.  The feeder is covered with a special screening on the top to prevent bees from entering the feeder from the outside when it is in use or when you are refilling it. 

Click on the images at right to see a close-up of how this top screening protects the reservoir.  You fill the feeder by pouring the sugar syrup directly through the top screening.

A cheap alternative to a hive-top feeder that many try using at first is a Boardman feeder.  A Boardman feeder is an inverted-jar honeybee feeder having holes in the lid and a base to hold the jar, as shown here on the right. 

The feeder is mounted outside the beehive, inserted in one side of the hive entrance, as shown here.

Many beekeepers use this feeder for feeding sugar syrup just to save money.  But it doesn't pay off in use. BeeCARE recommends a Boardman feeder only for watering, and it is actually well suited for this purpose.  We cannot recommend it for feeding sugar syrup, for several reasons:

• Encourages hive robbing by other bees, increasing the aggressiveness of the colony

• Requires front manipulation of the hive for refilling, increasing the chance of stings and increasing the defensive aggressiveness of the hive over time

• Attracts small hive beetles since it is outside the hive

• Medication in the syrup loses efficacy quickly when exposed to light

• Small capacity requires frequent trips to the apiary for refilling, as bees consume sugar syrup much more quickly than water

For general syrup feeding and medication, BeeCARE recommends using a hive-top feeder instead. A Boardman feeder is only an effective, simple and inexpensive method of watering the hive, as the bees will not be aggressive as they will when defending syrup and do not consume the water quickly.  You may easily administer water at the entrance with a Boardman feeder and give syrup in the hive-top feeder.

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