What I love most about bee keeping is honestly just sitting by my hive and watching them💕 They have taught me a lot with this being my first year. Thank you for all your information!
So it might just be me, but I started keeping bees this year in hopes of having my own honey. I love honey. But once I got them and began working the one hive I started with I just couldn’t get enough of it. There is just something about the smell the the comb and the sound of their wings in the air that truly puts my mind at ease. I’ve been dealing with mental issue and have had a truly hard time transitioning from military life and it takes a toll on my family. But these bees and the people like you have given me something amazing, and I love being able to teach my kids and anyone who will listen about honeybees.
Keeping bees is truly therapeutic. I struggled to heal after serious injuries more than 10 years ago ago. Was in a wheel chair for some time after when I decided to keep bees as a self challenge to get me to go outside. Long story short I started with one hive and after 10 years I’m walking again independently and I’m keeping up with a average of 8 hives per year. Despite the painful experience of standing to observe my hives and the heavy lifting of boxes it has made me a stronger person. They are a reminder to me that small things matter more than we realize.
I retired 11 years ago and still struggle with civilian life. I also started a bee colony this year. I didn’t get any honey, but I enjoy it, nonetheless. Even after getting stung on my ear
Cool you got help from the bee. My friend who has PTSD from being a paramedic during the corona has gone 100 per cent tolooking after bees. Much respect for you guys.
For the flying saucer feeder, you need a Vivaldi Board. It has a cut out circle to accommodate the feeder base, it's just high enough to accommodate the feeder, and has hardware cloth covered vents on both sides.
These videos are appealing to those newer bee keepers like myself, and my younger family members. We decided to keep our hives together in a family apiary. Grandchildren and parents working side by side in the hive. It has enhanced the values of respect, patience, the importance of understanding the world around us, and most importantly it brings us together. Thanks Dave for being a huge part of our adventures in the world of honey bees!
I've wanted to be a bee keeper for years. I'm close to retirement and plan on this my retirement job. I have one hive now and so far loving it. I have a lot to learn. I was surprised that my wife injoys keeping as well. A good thing to do together. Thanks for all of your time sharing your knowledge.
Have been using the flying saucer feeder for about 2 years now I love them you do have to cut the opening in your inner cover to fit the bottom of the feeder. It holds two quarts and can be filled from the top without disturbing the bees at all. Also the clear plastic cup can be removed and dry pollen can be put in with just the outer cover in place. It's a good system works great
Fredrick Dunn RU-vid has several methods on the round feeders. His latest questions and answers has a hack for them using a scrape board with a round hole!
There is so much helpful information on this channel! I’m a brand new beekeeper. And my mentor passed away a few months ago. So,when I have a question about beekeeping, I can’t ask him. But I can always ask David! He’s only a RU-vid video away. Thanks for the info on feeders David!!!
No one should have to apologise for what they like! Worth or worthless is good for each of us to make our own decision. Like I said ,we never have to apologise for what we like. Coffee time allows me to reflect. Thankyou for taking the time to share. I appreciate it.
As a new beekeeper I’ve noticed a couple of great benefits. I’ve noticed that my morning walks with my wife are more interesting as we pay attention to the blossoms on our three mile walk. From early spring through this second week of September, we can watch our bees on so many different plants and shrubs! Also, as our hive is close to our screened in porch, we can observe bee behavior as a hobby together! We also watch your videos religiously and are learning as we go. Please keep up making awesome beekeeping videos as we learn every time we watch! Thank you so much.
I started beekeeping last spring and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. As a police officer, between working in Covid situations and riots throughout last summer, beekeeping was and still is a nice peaceful getaway. It has been a great experience and stress reliever. I believe I have tried all the feeders you have shown today and have settled on the round hive top feeder. Most of them have flat bottoms but the last batch had the extension on the bottom. My inner cover was able to accept them well.
I’m just starting next spring and am looking forward to the therapeutic, relaxing feeling. I was diagnosed with PTSD resulting from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m hopeful this will give me additional purpose and help with relaxation. Thank you for serving the community!
What I have enjoyed about being a first year beekeeper is how much the bees have caused me to research and learn about them. This adventure has not only given me reason to learn about raising bees, but expanded into woodworking, to build box's, learn about bee friendly flowers, now I'm excited to do a split this spring, and keep expanding my knowledge.
Hi David. Thanks once again for your informative videos. What I enjoy the most about beekeeping is the magnificence on how these little girls work in a team. Each one has her function (not excluding the big boys - drones). While they are individual living little guys and girls, they work as though one organism to produce all they do. Fascinating.
Enjoy your videos so much, I am working on building a couple hives during the winter, as part of my plan to managing PTSD after years of firefighting I am convinced beekeeping will help me to keep my chin up and a smile on my face.
Beekeeping has given me another hobby to share with my dad! It has been so exciting to watch our colonies grow and compare what our bees are doing. Thanks to watching your videos I have learned a ton that I have shared with him too, and we are now feeding our bees properly to promote winter BROOD! 🙌 Thank you for sharing with all of us here! Cheers! ☕️ 🍯 🐝
Give away comment. I love the organic nature of my bees and their hive. Watching bees build and care for their hive up close and personal is such an awesome experience. Hearing and watching them is so peaceful and calming. I can feel my blood pressure lowering each time I work with my hives. From the different colors of the pollen they bring in to their geometric build of comb leaves me in awe. There is never a dull moment with my bees. I'm always observing something new. Working with my hives give me a spiritual experience.
I had a landlord who had 4 to 6 hives in his backyard in a tall fenced area in so ca. He had a book on beekeeping that I read in my spare time. This was in 1980. And as I to am older have re kindled my interest as a retirement job.
I love the hum of the bees when holding them in your hands. Close your eyes clear your mind and in the world today everyone needs some inner peace. It is a great feeling that will bring a smile everytime! Its a bee utiful day.
I have used the flat yellow plastic entrance feeder before, but I have never actually placed it in the entrance, nor have I put any sugar in them. I just put water in them and set them within a meter if the hive itself as a water station. Obviously you wouldn't do this in the winter for multiple reasons.
Thank you David for another helpful video. The choices for feeders are a lot. The more I can feed them, the last time in and out of the hive bothering them
Love your videos, lots of good info and help. I like that you took the feeders out of the package and tried to figure how to use them without testing first, that's how we would have to do it. I always look forward to your videos and will go back and review older ones. AND your positive attitude helps me keep focused and motivated. So now its off to the hives for a check. Thanks
I am new to bees this year.The rapid round feeders work good but be ready to fill them up in two or three days. I tried the square feeders,they work fine also and hold more.I bought four Ceracell top feeders to try for this fall.Thank you David for your videos.I'm 64 from tug hill in NY.
My bees are my release from work being a correction officer in the state of Texas. I have found that a number of inmates are interested in beekeeping when they get out. This is my 3ed year and still learning with every inspection. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
hey David. I have the yellow bottom feeders. as they are, they do not leak but also do not let enough water out to be effective. i used a 3/16 drill bit and took a small half circle out of the lip of the cup and once filled, put on the bottom piece with that notch lined up with the opening and they work great.
I have started using the "lunch box" feeders. I have to say finding 0 yellow jackets when I refill is an absolute joy. They just seem to work well and keep other critters out of the syrup. Loved this video as I do all of your videos.
I have my bee hive in my young orchard area next to my garden, away from our house. The busy bees help me get more fruit and for that I am willing to take the time to care for and provide for them.
As a new bee keeper I love your Worth it or not videos, on social security I was only able to get one package this past year, already saving up to get more this next spring, also buying equipment for that. Wish i would have found your videos sooner. Its absolutely fascinating watching them work, my colony is very gentle, I only wear a hood to keep them out of my beard and hair. This next year I will also be setting up to put a shade cloth over the hives during summer to assist them to not get over heated. I have to restrain my self from wanting to open the hive just to watch them, and just do weekly inspections. I guess you can say we are in our fall flow here in the desert as we are having our monsoon season which causes hundreds of flowering cactus and wild flowers to do there annual blooming different plants other than the cactus and mesquite which is our spring flow. Thank you for your knowledge and the time you take to help us through your videos. I would love to take the course if I was financially able.
I have inadvertently or accidentally become a backyard beekeeper. I love attracting squirrels to our southern California backyard and was very successful with squirrels quickly occupying two boxes I hung high in the pine trees. Only a few weeks after the squirrels made their home there, I saw the boxes were full of bees. To my amazement, the bees have continually occupied these boxes for 2 years or more. I have seen them swarm, yet I still have bees in the boxes. I love that the bees have found a home in my very natural backyard wildlife habitat. To this point in time, I have only been a bee observer, but now I want to provide more living space for them, hopefully, to provide an even more healthy place for them to thrive. I plan to place a hive brood box (yes I have recently been watching a few videos) near the bee-occupied squirrel boxes, hoping for a queen to move in and, if successful, later add a super box with queen excluder (again, I paid attention to the videos). Nothing would be more satisfying than watching the bees thrive in their new home with my support and harvesting a tiny bit of honey and wax. I have a good feeling the bees will find this new hive box to make a home, as they had occupied the two squirrel boxes so quickly and for so long. If not, then when the time is right, in spring, I will purchase bees to install in the hive. To this end, I have been enjoying your videos and impressed with your knowledge and presentation, and I am considering the online course. Thank you for your insights!
Round feeder is an inner feeder. Meaning it goes on top of the inner cover. I like that blue feeder with the valve at the bottom like a pet waterer. I use a chicken waterer that holds 2 gallon. Just fill rim with marbles so they don't drown. LOL The bucket feeder is meant to be placed out in a field on a block or something like a bird feeder. Not in your hive.
When I bought the first part of my hive earlier this year (don't yet have bees) a hive feeder came with it and since then, I've bought a 10 frame top feeder from your shop
I assume, Flying saucer feeder: cut a hole into the telescopic cover and set atop the outside of the hive. Good for winter feeding so you dont open the hive. Use insulation to keep from freezing.
Hey David, my favorite feeders are the Miller feeders. They hold a lot and no drowned bees. Also I use those round 'flying saucer' feeders. Yes, they go over the inner cover with an empty box around them. I had to widen the oval hole in the inner cover just slightly. They work well and the clear part doesn't float at all. I never use the white top though, unnecessary IMO. As for the bucket feeders - the ones I've seen have a 1" hole cut in the lid and a fine mesh screen glued on. Then the vacuum stops the syrup from just pouring out. With all these white feeders I was wishing your white balance would adjust as most of them were 'blown out'.
I use 80 of the round rapid feeders. I simply cut off the snout on the bottom of feeder and place on/over the hole on the inner cover with a spacer. Refilling with no bees in face or disturbing the hive. Bee Happy HBM
I recently bought another flying saucer feeder from our local bee store because hands down they are the best feeders I have used and I have used many. They do sit over the inner cover hole but are easy to fill and prevent robbing because outside bees cannot access it. One drawback is that small ants will get in.
Wow another great video I’m a beginner bee keeper and loving it, I love going into the hive and watch with amazement how they make the comb & fill it with honey and cap it over. With the help of your videos I’ve limited my mistakes and already looking forward to next year ( if I don’t screw it up this winter 🤪😂 ) Thx Phil PS. I saw a post from a veteran he deserves the free class.
The bucket feeder leaks. 😢 I use it outside on a couple of boards to hold up. Bee's fly under and drink from the holes. I find it still leaks. Good for outside. I won't chance in hive
I enjoy the social structure of honey bees . Everyone knows their job and does it well ( in a good colony anyway) . Queen does they make a new one , fall comes , so long drones . They are very intelligent for such a small creature.
Bucket feeders are great for large quantities of hives an speedy feeding. Pop the plug out of top cover an flop the bucket an move on to the next hive.. But when we feed? We feed all the hives so we don’t seem to experience any robbing. But for small bee keeper set up? You can’t beat pop the cover drop in new quart jar on the inner cover an slap the cover back on !! The biggest advantage of the inside feeders is the syrup is maintained at warm hive temperature where as the buckets or outside feeders are acceptable to the out door temperature.. lol an I fully agreed with you on the entrance feeders! If you have a weak hive an feed them? They are not strong enough to protect the other entrance from strong hives robbing seen it in my first year with my girls.. Thanks for another great video ; However,,,,, I do have a complaint! While I enjoy our coffee time videos , how come the video doesn’t come with free ( coffee) ? o.o 😁😅😂🤣
We have an (inside) frame feeder. Works great! Love your videos. They help us so much. I think what we love most being new beekeepers is the connection we have with each other and nature as we manage our bees. It's a way to forget all your worries and also to learn something new! Would LOVE to win the class! Dave, do you know master beekeeper Rick Cooper in Maine? We were able to attend an outdoor hands-on fall beekeeping management class last Sat. in Maine that Rick presented free to all. We all had our suits and veils on and had a great time! He was awesome!---Mary and Adam in NH
I use a bucket feeder and it works perfectly! The sugar water doesn't leek around the rim. I like it because I can put 2 gallons on and not worry that they will have enough. I really learn a lot from your videos! Thanks for all you do!!!
I’m assuming that your the only beekeeper in the area.? Community feeder sounds good but what if your not the only beekeeper in the area then what? I really don’t want to feed other people bees.
I only feed my bird bath about 1 hour a day and they consume 1-2 hours. There are not many other hives close by. I have used a 55 gallon plastic drum and filled it up with sugar water and placed branches in it, but that becomes scary with what looks like millions of bees.
Hello just started keeping bees and would love to get a hold of a couple of your 8 frame feeder boards. When do you guys think you will have more available? Thanks you and love the videos so help especially to new keepers
I love beekeeping!! I have loved the idea of having my own bees since I was a little kid and we passed bee boxes in the field by my grandparents house. I was always amazed that thousands and thousands of bees knew which one was its home. They are amazing little machines. I have been letting the dandelions grow in my yard for years so the bees had a place to come to. When my neighbors want to scream because my yard is all yellow I want to scream because there’s is all green. Green is pretty but not good for anything!! I have lots of weedy areas for bees and other flying insects in my back yard. I love watching all the activity around them. I got my first bee hives this spring and I’m mostly winging it. Watching a lot of videos. I stand out there and watch them come and go. What a peaceful time. I have tons more to learn and I hope some day I become an expert like yourself (or least of all I get them to survive the winter). I’m def going to be heart broken if they don’t survive the winter. Thank You for your videos!!! You’re so good at how you teach that you even make me want coffee😂!! 🐝🍯☕️ Thank You, Non coffee drinker in Spokane Wa 😁🌸💜
Mr. Burns, please tell me the name of the external feeder with the blue base. You just it’s on Amazon but didn’t mention it’s name…. No link in your description. Thanks🇺🇸
I love beekeeping because it is relaxing and it is something that I love a lot, love your videos, and also I would love to have that online course because I’m a new beekeeper and It would help me be a excellent! Beekeeping is something that helps me do what I love doing, which is beekeeping, hope I win the course! Love the videos, keep up the good work, I’m subscribed with the notifications! Hope you get to 100,000 subscribers!
David, I purchased a couple of your feeding systems. (spring, summer, fall) I notice in your videos you don't paint the wood at all where is would be out in the elements. Any reason why? Should I or should I not paint them?
I use the 2nd one as a plain water source (just in case). I really like those bigger feeders for on the inner cover. Then it wouldn't need refilled so often.
Great video David Your videos have helped me so much. First of all Thanks so much fir that. I’m from Canada and I have been a beekeeper for 6 weeks what I love the most so far is Our 3 grandsons and my wife as really taking to it way way more then I ever thought. They always want to come and see Gumpy’s Bees. The oldest (Finnegan) has ask several time if I can get him a bee suit so he can come help with my bees. THE BUCKET FEEDER. I’m as confused as you are on the bucket feeder. Only thing I can think of is maybe there are some holes in the lid or your supposed to drill them? IDK.
First! 😁 I hope to someday raise bees and make my own honey. I can't do that right now living in a condo. Love your vids and I will take your class one day as well. 👍
Hello David, I really like the flying saucer feeder, the frame feeder is awsome if you into drowning bees! I tried adding wire,sticks ,sponges, but still junk!!! I find that it is crazy how a little bug fascinates so many people now still for1000s of yrs .for a taste of their honey! I love learning something new just about every time I get in a hive,I love the smell and their sound of a hive and I know its sick,but I love how they let me know that I mess up in handling them and that I need a good sting ! This is my 3rd yr, 1st 2 yrs I was scared and only got into them couple times ,some how survived, thanks to you and others I split them into 8 ,and got 60lbs of honey . Did I mention my wife loves how much $$ I have spent on them this yr!
Phil, I loved ; my wife loves how much $$ I spend!! Rolling on the floor laughing 😂!!! My wife also says same thing!! I tell her: Hay them are my girls an they deserve it just like our kids did when they were home….Going to a bee keeper supply house?? I’m like a kid in the candy store an my wallet is usually empty when I leave!!!😋😂
What I love most about beekeeping is that is has got my kids mutually interested in the same thing. My daughters are both teenagers so of course dad doesn't know anything. But when it comes to bees my youngest is super excited about getting our 1st hives this spring and helping me set them up and learning together how to care for them. My oldest daughter is graduating high school this year and is pursuing a degree in the science field. She would love to see a video about how bees create a queen from an egg they picked in a walk away split. What happens to that egg from a biological standpoint that turns it into a queen. Also from a biological standpoint if drones are created without sperm how does that work? These are the questions she has. Also, I know you said it several times not to use a entrance feeder during a dearth, so I just want to confirm. Can I use an entrance feeee........😂
Aloha from Oahu. New subscriber here. Thank you David! I love getting stung near the eye. Iʻm mildly allergic. Today I look like I got beat up. I was grilling with a headlamp. This brings up a question. I have searched for related info with no luck. Is there any info on bee hive placement to avoid night light attraction? for the past 10 years Iʻve had a wild hive in a coconut stump on one side of my house, we must keep house lights low at night or bees fly to the light. Yrs ago I bought a new bee box and tried to cone trap them in. This was before I knew about swarm lure or using brood comb. They showed no interest so I removed the cone. Most of the comb cannot be seen so I dont think I can vac them out. Anyways, I would love to get them into a new box and move away from the house. I dont mind the stings until its my kids screaming at night. On another note. May 2023 I had four swarms pass through my yard. Three landed for me to catch. The last one stayed after getting swarm lure. So after 10 years I finally have bees in a box but still have the challenge of attracting bees into the house at night.
MIN MARK 10 :56 YOU SHOWED A BUCKET FEEDER. IT IS NOT LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE AND CAN'T FIND ON AMAZON. WOULD YOU KNOW A DISTRIBUTOR WHO SELLS THEM PLEASE & THANK YOU.
Don't they just drown in an open bird bath community feeder? And doesnt the sugar water so bad in the weather/sun? Edit: I read elsewhere that filling the feeder up with narbles or stones gives them something to walk along.
Why are you feeding with supers on ? The frame feeders work great both spring and fall or during a dearth. You will not get robbing starting useing these and only opening the top enough to fiii them.
I want to be one with nature. I have an acreage in Linn Grove Iowa. Here it is mainly farm ground with a few wooded nature areas. I have a 3 acre pond, 10 acres timber and 15 acres prairie with wildflowers. It was my dream. Living and loving. Ha broke poor but who cares.😜
Hi David, I just got a bucket feeder from Greg Burns over here in Ohio. This one has a hole in the lid where a plug is inserted. The plugs have one or more holes in it. I place mine on a migratory cover with a hole in it, but many just throw it on the inner cover and put a deep on top.
You drill a hole for your jars on your "inner covers" you made... I only use these making a feeder like you do. Not happy you dissed this as I sell them like hotcakes. You use sugar water in spring, summer on new splits, dry sugar in winter as it wicks moisture and it is a good source of they run out in early spring un-clustering with many warm days like last year.
You have taught us so much. We are using your top feeder of course successfully. My only question is? Is there some way I can give these beautiful bees a top entrance hole or is it not necessary when using your top feeder. I keep thinking I did not install it correctly or I missed something.Thank you!
Your fly saucer feeder can work on your jar top feeder. I use it on an inner cover with a slightly enlarged hole. My favorite is one the is like your flying saucer feeder that doesn't have the protrusion and the community feeder.
It is a shame you didn't use your time researching the proper way to use the rapid feeders (flying saucer and lunch box) before making yiur video. I have been using them for the past 4 yrs and they work great. Easy to fill and can even be done at night without getting into the hive!
The Flying Saucer is a retrofret top feeder. You know when you see beekeepers that have jars feeders on top of their bee boxes oh, well those Lids have holes the right diameter for that to retrofit into. It should only be a nipple deep enough to just break the depth of the lid. And Wendy climate some beekeepers have trouble keeping their jars on their boxes so this appears to be a workaround for beekeepers that still have those lids. It should be see through if you want this to actually work correctly.
The Canadian feeder is not supposed to leak around the sides just out of the middle, using only an inner cover. I think. I see them used on a Canadian Beekeeper's Blog also by the Bee Whisperer who is in Maine I think. Thanks for another enjoyable video.
I put about 12 entrance feeders out in the opposite end of my farm away from my bees because they put pallets of bees at the farm next door for pollination, it keeps the foreign bees away from my hives and the white round top feeders “rapid rounds “ are the bed on the market , I make a one piece feeder shim and I insulate it too because it is great insulating layer too, I can feed all winter without even exposing the brood, and for safety I put a toddler sock at the hole , you cut the toe out and stretch it over the hole and put the clear small inner cap over the sock and hole then the bees can get traction on the sock and not drown !!!! It’s an amazing easy winter feeder
Liquid settle = getting sealed by vacuum. They usually use them on top of the hive. Not on innercover but on the top lid. They weren't using an innercover
Hi what made me want to keep bees…l have wanted to be a bee keeper for some time last year we bought a old farmhouse with 1 acre has lots of pastures and working land I thought this will be a great place to farm bees so I bought 2 my sand 1 pollination hive now I have 7 hives and 2 mic’s to over winter I’ve been enjoyed all the great information that you have shared and of course coffee time as well I hoping that good nutrition Nd low mite will be a good winter and a thriving spring keep up with the great information that you share
I'm thinking the holes in the center cup of the bowl feeder simply allow for continued ventilation which would otherwise be blocked. some feeders seem to require sticks or some sort of elevating spacer with openings that allow the bees to come up and walk under and around to the sugar water supply
Entrance feeder tend to make other hives want to loot it aso other bugs as wasps to come buy If you put them in the evening and take them in the morning is ok but really nice of you to actually mention it
And David I love being a bee keeper for being a bee keeper I'm helping to preserve life in plants as well as human life. My neighbor next door has a pecan tree that he said hasn't bared fruit in several years, this year it is loaded with nuts thanks to the pollination of the bees. So I see the bees as preservers of life.
