BBKA Forum

Hi,

For winter feeding I used an ashforth feeder on my two hives and, although one hive was slower to feed than the other, it seems to have worked well. As this is my first winter feeding as a new beekeeper, I was a little surprised when I removed the feeders to discover a layer of dead bees in the space where the sugar syrup seeps through to allow the bees to feed. Is this normal, or does it suggest poor technique on my part, eg filling the chamber too quickly and drowning bees? If not poor technique, is it poor design? And are there any tips to avoid this happening again?

Thanks

Some bees may die if feed is applied rapidly and they become drenched by the cold nature and being swamped by said feed. Filling speed depends on how inquisitive the bees are at the out set, a float of thin timber liker a top bar wedge or a bottom frame bar can give then something to cling to.
Generally I see very few dead bees with any type of feeder, dribbling some feed first down the access route usually keeps them occupied whilst filling is done .

I get this quite a bit either early in Spring or late in Autumn in rapid feeders. I think the bees just get chilled because they are to far from the rest of the colony when the night time temps dip. I have found this Autumn using a poly miller feeder it seems to happen less but it is still an issue. I will try NealH suggestion of a floating wooden bar to see if it helps.