[Earldw]

If using a Boardman feeder and a new colony of package bees, do you use an entrance reducer cut to size while the colony makes itself at home?

Bees arrive late March, I live in North Florida, zone 8b, in a rural environment, and fruit plants/trees are already blooming.

 

[Wil]

I don't use Boardman feeders at the entrance but no, you would not use an entrance reducer at all. Keep in mind that the boardman feeder is designed to go into about a 7/8 inch slot so that rules out an entrance reducer. Also, the bees still need to get in and out of the hive in order to forage and do cleansing flights. If I use my Boardman feeders, I use them inside the hive closed off with another box so they aren't exposed to the outside. Outside the hive you are taking a chance of having other bees from another colony rob your bees. Ants will also find that tasty syrup.

 

[Earldw]

To be clear, you recommend not using an entrance reducer, correct?

 

[Wil]

To be clear, you recommend not using an entrance reducer, correct?

Yes. The opening with the box siting on the bottom board is only about 3/4 inch to 7/8 inch so the feeder would take that height up. The space left to either side of the feeder would be an opening for the bees to go in and out of. Myself,I usually like about a 3 inch opening so that the guard bees have an easier time of guarding the doorway but when there is a heavy flow on and lots of bees trying to bring in nectar and pollen,I usually open it wide up so they don't get held up at the airport.

 

[Earldw]

Cool beans. So just like this should work when my bees arrive?

 

[Wil]

Cool beans. So just like this should work when my bees arrive?
View attachment 10669

Yep,that will work but you could,if you want,cut an entrance reducer down to fit in between the feeder and the end of the opening so that you can reduce the size of the entrance.Your package of bees will be about 10,000 bees so maybe that large opening isn't such a good idea. I'm thinking of a few guard bees trying to protect that large opening while all those other bees are trying to build their new home from scratch.

 

[Wil]

Do you know if there are any beekeepers in your area close by, say withing 2 to 4 miles or closer? If so, their bees can easily find your colony and help themselves to robbing. I have a few beekeepers within a half mile to 2 miles and believe me,I have my hands full with bee activity. I love being surrounded by those little buggers though.

 

[roadkillbobb]

for a new colony, I would reduce the remaining opening to 1 inch, I would see what others do in the area and go with that..once the hive is full strength and no robber bee issues it could go bigger..

 

[Wil]

Agreed!

 

[Gypsi]

Honey b healthy added to syrup will draw every robber for miles. I haven't used a boardman since my first year, and my first hive was killed by robber bees. I do use the jar lid for a boardman, but I make a migratory cover, cut an opening, I think 2 inches is lid size, put #8 hardware cloth on inside of that cover so the jar sits over the opening, put an Illinois super over it with my telescoping lid. Feed inside the hive without flooding the bees or feeding the neighbor bees. and a definite entrance reducer. Most of mine are a piece of 1x2 cut to allow about a 1 inch opening at one end or the other. 2012 pic. Better hive stand now. In drought the gap around the jar ventilates the hive a little, in rain, I use a rubber rain hat or get the box with telescoping cover back over that jar.

 

[roadkillbobb]

looks like pieces of pond liner on the ground, I used my scraps for gasket material, the edpm works great for that....and nothing seems to affect it, such as oils..

 

[Gypsi]

it is pond liner. and because so many ants eat bees there is some ant block under it. Keeps my chickens and bees from accessing the poison. I build or re-line a pond now and then, so I get a fair bit of scrap, 45 mil epdm

 

[Earldw]

Thanks for the information folks And leads to two questions:
1) how do you distinguish a robber bee from a colony bee?
2) should I install a robber screen now and ditch the boardan feeder for another option?

 

[Gypsi]

Thanks for the information folks And leads to two questions:
1) how do you distinguish a robber bee from a colony bee?
2) should I install a robber screen now and ditch the boardan feeder for another option?

your bees need to be able to go in and out. Feed inside the hive, use a good entrance reducer, knock that entrance down to 1 or 2 inches wide. A robber bee looks like any other honey bee, but when the hive is under attack you will see fighting on the front porch, and may see a thousand bees all glaring at your hive hungrily as they hover

 

[Earldw]

Thanks everyone; I ordered a Ceracell feeder. It looked like a simple solution, but are there any “Unadvertised Features” with these things?

 

[Gypsi]

I am not familiar with that one, looking up

 

[Gypsi]

I'm sticking with my inverted jars on migratory covers, looks ok, watch out for drowned bees, but should be ok

 

[Wil]

Thats pretty much works like my Rapid Round feeders that I use on my hives, same principal but yours holds more.
Round Rapid Feeders – White (blythewoodbeecompany.com)
I do get some drowned bees from time to time because they can crowd themselves under that plastic lid and push the lower bees into the syrup. There are different companies that make Rapid Round feeders, some good, some bad.
Gypsi's inverted jars on a migratory cover is the easiest and most convenient solution. All my covers are telescopic though and I don't want to cut into them. I might just make up some Migratory covers one day, just for that purpose.

 

[Earldw]

Thanks for all the good advice folks. Today I became a beekeeper!

 

[Wil]

Now we got to see pictures. Congratulations.