Bees can't swim

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Bees can't swim

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Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 7:42 pm Post subject: Bees can't swim

I have a 2pint rapid feeder which I am using to feed syrup to a newly hived swarm and they keep drowning in the syrup. The thing is my bees keep drowning it it. I go up every day and fish them out (about a dozen or so a day...). I've put some straw floating on the syrup to give them little rafts but they are still leaping to their death. They are more like lemmings in that respect...

Am I using the feeder wrongly? Is there something I am missing?

Should I forget the straw and use bubble wrap instead or does anyone else have a better method they use?

Is there anything I should be really careful about? What about Nosema (all new foundation in the hive and no old comb...)

So many questions...

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 7:46 pm Post subject:
Do you have a piece that's like a yoghurt pot that goes upturned over the hole in the middle ? If not - thats your problem - if you do - I don't know

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 7:55 pm Post subject:
Yup! Got the lid and made sure it is on right - yet still... every day... kamikaze bees slowly crystallising in the syrup.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 8:20 pm Post subject:
put a few plastic beads in there, ones that will float on the surface. I use this type & only have a few casualties so can't understand why you are getting such losses.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 8:21 pm Post subject:
Thats what I use as well - never had any problems with kamikaze bee's - Infact I've just been to have a look at them and they were feeding happily

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 8:43 pm Post subject:
I have one of those - and I used it in the Autumn with no casualties. I've had a frame feeder on recently, but now I have a super on I might fill up the top one again.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 8:49 pm Post subject:

Ahhhh.... I see said the blind man! I thought it was a 2 pc thing rather than a 3, so Jacorless was right on the button with the missing yoghurt pot thingy.

My bee tutor lent me the feeder and went to great lengths to show me how to use it and how not to use it. However he that is the doddery old fart failed to mention that he hadn't brought me the whole thing!

The deaths of my bees are on his baldy old head.

Will it work if I put a washed out pot on there or not?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 9:04 pm Post subject:
I've tried that and it doesn't work - the proportions are all wrong - Until you can get a proper one I'd suggest that you fill a jam jar with some holes punched in the lid and upturn that on the top of the crown board hole and use it as a contact feeder

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 9:15 pm Post subject:
Or knock up a frame feeder and make sure you put a little raft in.

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 9:23 pm Post subject:
Think I will do the jam jar thing. Do I have to make the syrup thicker? Does it drip thru the crown board into the hive? Either way that sounds better than fishing out dozens of dead bees every evening. My poor bees. They will swarm again just to find a better beekeeper.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 9:29 pm Post subject:
turn it upside down and let it balance before putting on the hive - the miniscus prevents it dripping madly - you don't have to make the syrup any thicker

Mrs Baggins

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Posts: 837
Location: West Kent

Posted: Thu May 07, 09 9:30 pm Post subject:
Thx Jacorless. I'll do that first thing.

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