Top entrance with top feeder?

just curious how others handle top feeders with top entrances I.e @Michael_Bush - entrance goes above the feeder or in between?

Another question I have is, if they have a top entrance and bees want to store the honey far from the entrance, do I put my honey super UNDER the brood box(es)? It would be possible with flow frames and you could check your brood boxes without taking the honey super off…

@AngoraAngy
Bees don’t keep their honey underneath. They will move it above their heads

I don’t have top entrances but I would imagine having the entrance straight into the feeder might be asking for trouble…perhaps I’m wrong.

That’s my feeling too -my guess is having the entrance above the frames but below the entrance to the feeder box (referring to the double tray feeder box style that sits on top of the boxes)

It can’t go at the top. There is no kind of top feeder where that would work. Two shingle shims will make an entrance under the feeder. A block of wood can be used to reduce that. I often just break off another shingle shim to fit and it’s only tight on one end, but it blocks the entrance mostly.

Very interested in top entrances but two questions:

  1. where does the brood tend end up? In the bottom box or in the top?

  2. How do you feed the bees when you have a top entrance?

where does the brood tend end up? In the bottom box or in the top?

Bottom. Bees tend to store honey over the brood nest which tends to push the brood nest down.

How do you feed the bees when you have a top entrance?

A lot of possible ways. Use a frame feeder and put it the most distance from the door, or in the next box down. Put dry sugar on newspaper on the top bars. Use a bottom board feeder. Use a miller feeder with a notch. In short any way you feed bees with a bottom entrance…



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Funny! I was coming to these forums to direct a question to @Michael_Bush about top entrances and top feeders, only to find he had already answered it, with pictures!!

Michael, I love your videos, your website, and your ideas in general.

Thanks. I should point out that with a miller feeder (no matter where you entrance is) you need the lid to be bee tight. If bees get in the top a lot will drown… So in the case of the picture above, the cover is flight against the feeder with no shims down. You can flip it upside down if you have shims on it. You will need a lot of bricks to hold the corners down. Bees can get in 1/6" space…

Thanks! My top feeders are slightly different, but could have the same concern.