Just added Mann Lake top feeder. I like the amount of sugar I can feed. It just seems the bees are not wild about it. In addition I seem to have more dead bees than I expected. Do you have to take the three scews off the top and remove the screen to get the dead bees cleaned up? Thanks a bunch! Dale
Feeding bees drowns bees. It’s just the reality of feeding. You may think using a jar with holes would avoid this, but a hot day can cause it to dump syrup on the bees and the drowned ones are on the bottom board instead of in the feeder. I don’t bother to clean them up in a miller style feeder unless the bees are having trouble getting in. Then I don’t remove the screen, I just shake them out or use a water hose to spray them out…
After reading pros and cons I opted for front entrance feeders…drowning bees was why I opted out on top feeders. Maybe top feeder users have found some tips and tricks…
Dale,
Not sure what Man Lakes look like. All my topfeeder are Bushy Mtn except couple 10 framers I built ( I have 8 or more). 10 frame, 8 frame n 5 frame for couple Nuc’s I play with at times. Then I have the old stand-by upside down mason jars I use above in an empty old deep hive body. I keep couple spare top feeders I built in reserve… The rafts are only wood.
Don’t seem to score many if any dead bees often. The floating wood/plastic raff seem to work great. Sorry your having the drowned bee issue. We all loss a few along the way if we admit it.
Hope you can work it out okay. We all run into unexpected issues we have to workout. Run into this no matter what field or hobby I’ve been into. Got a lot of wood jigs that didn’t do what was promised. Not sure if it was me or the designers… 
. Just learn, do your best n move on. This is life !
Well that’s my 2 cents on it, Ta ta now…
Gerald
I also have the brushy mountain ones, and they seem to be the best in terms of fewest dead bees. There are still drowned bees, just not as much as before with other feeders. I was thinking of putting a mesh of No 8 hardware over the plastic and seeing if that eliminates drown bees.
My hives are a five minute walk from the house. I have never used a large volume feeder. I use 2litre round rapid feeders that I can re-fill daily if I am feeding for winter. Never had a drowned bee
This is simply not true. If you believe this, you need to invest in a better feeder. I run Technoset top feeders (10+) and never drown bees.
I posted photos of it here
http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/sugar-water-feeders/5783/59?u=rbk
I have not had that particular feeder, but I’ve had many very much like it. I’ve had every kind of feeder I know of (including the very nice rapid feeder). They all drown bees. It’s just a matter of degree and circumstance.
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I kept making a mess with these…true the bees didn’t drown though.
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Baggies are tricky. I like to use those “single use” razor blades - very cheap in packs of 20+ from a hardware supplier. I don’t use it just once, of course, but it makes it easier to get a sharp new one when needed.
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I use rectangular or circular 2l rapid feeders positioned over the feeder hole in the feeder board/ crown board. It’s marked so that I can slide the new one in place and it’s properly centred over the hole.
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Thanks Gerald and the pics are a big help. The Mann Lake feeders looked bullet proof and goodness knows they hold lots of syrup!! The bees climb up in the middle, come out the openings, climb down the screen drink, return, and repeat!! I was surprised at all the dead bees. More confusing was how to get them out. They were behind the screen and I had to remove the three screws holding the screen in place to get to the bees. This just seemed like more hassle than should be necessary. Learn and move on!! Thanks a bunch!!
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Cowgirl,
Your a bit far for a neighborly visit to see mine … Sorry my friend ! I bought one of those slide in the front entrance jar feeders but never used it yet. Anyway difficult to use those with any entrance reducer in place. I’d think those might encourage robbing but don’t have experience with those.
I have used the top-feeders … 
. Here’s my one new Nuc colony I’m feeding off/on present to help it get big n healthy enough to winter over up here in Western Washington. And I also use several elevated mason jars with little pinhole surrounded by a old extra deep super to keep other quests from dining in ! 
. Have a great weekend ! Gerald
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I have a Mann Lake feeder as well. I noticed a number of bees under the feeder were unwilling to leave so I could clean it. It appeared they had a binch of hive beetles they were guarding. I observed some extra loud buzzing and even some bee combat. Trying to shake beetles out but still couldn’t get all the bees to evacuate. I have traps now, but still would like to clean, dead bees and beetles alike.