Mann Lake Top Feeder Inserts

After piddling around with trying to build my own top feeders, I have arrived at this solution. Just buy it!
In some instances, it is certainly more cost effective to build vs buy. But in my current position, this is not one of those times. I have built my own top feeder for a 5 frame hive, and will share that once I am finished with it. But when I got to looking at how to build the same design for a 10 frame, it got more complicated, and more time consuming. There is also double the risk of leaks (with a fully wooden construction).
So I opted to buy in this case. This is a single piece plastic mold. It will not leak, and shouldn't even get brittle or crack. In extreme cold maybe, but we don't see that down here in Houston. I sincerely hope this works well, and if it does, I'll be looking to get more of them as my apiary grows.
Stay tuned for more videos on DIY beekeeping, and how to make that ever smaller dollar stretch a little further!

[@TomBrueggen]

@Homelessshelterrice: yes I do inner and outer, but still occasionally have 1-2 get in and drown. Never 20-30 though. Make sure your screens are tight and they aren't getting around somehow. Also you may try something like a sheet of cardboard and then your inner/outer. This will give you a bit better seal to keep bees out of the top. Don't give up yet, these things are great for feeding a lot at once instead of refilling a quart jar every day!

[@larrypeterson4945]

I use this same Mann Lake top feeder and I really like them. I had to seal the edges of wire where it meets the plastic bottom with silicone. When the feeder runs dry the bees would crawl under the wire, especially on the ends, and drown . I don't like dead or drowned bees. I also made ventilated shime frames with #8 screen on one side and over the vent holes to go over the top of the feeder to insure that no bees can get through from a warped lid. I use two ventilated shime frames with screen side out, to make a top quilt area that will wick out moisture in the winter. Thanx for the video!! LP

[@tombrueggen1744]

+Larry Peterson Wow the top screen is a great idea. I do have that issue, with bees working under the outer cover and then drowning in the feeder. Never really noticed them coming through the wires though. And yes, definitely need to do something about excess moisture, especially in winter. I've read of others just putting dry sugar up top to absorb the moisture out of the air. May be more useful when the feeder is off and just trying to keep the cluster dry in winter. Usually not a problem for us down here as it just doesn't get all that cold.

[@jim2924]

thank you very much for the good look at this feeder

[@tombrueggen1744]

+Jim Dufty No problem. Thanks for watching.

[@stephen26448]

just use an inner cover underneath it if you are concerned about a piece of plywood on the bottom and no other cover is needed on the top of it except the telescoping lid but prop it up a little bit for venting. have a plan for ants

[@tombrueggen1744]

Yeah that’s what I started doing. If the bees don’t take the feed fast enough then I get mildew growing on the bottom of the covers.

[@Johnboy1939B]

I use these and never had a problem with any of the problems discussed. The only thing I do differently is I use comb honey supers (old style for balsa wood boxes) which are shallower then shallow honey suppers. I have left them on for weeks after they ran out of feed (didn't have time) and never had a burr comb issue. I think a great product.

[@tombrueggen1744]

+Johnboy1939B So you use the comb honey super as the framework for the feeder? I figure that would be just fine. I have had burr comb issues, but rare. I think a big part of that is just the propensity of a given colony to draw burr comb compared to others.

[@louisrzen6585]

I had the same issues with burr comb (that's why I came looking for this video). I will try placing my inner covers below the feeder to see if it limits build up. It was a real pain trying to remove a partially filled feeder when it was glued to the frames below. I also had excessive moisture and mould on the underside of my outer covers, I tried vented shims with screens over the vents but I think that facilitated evaporation of my syrup so it got really thick before the bees could get it all down. Now I just place a piece of 1" extruded foam insulation cut to the outer dimensions of the feeder over top of the feeder and put the cover on that. The cover still has enough depth to stay on securely and the wood cover is protected. I live in Vancouver, Canada so our climate is mild and not very humid, I think the bees handle the extra potential humidity well and I may even assist them when the weather is warmer. Always try something different if it doesn't work the first time.

[@tombrueggen1744]

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you may have gotten it figured out!

[@stanschleusener6444]

Great feeder, have used them for 3 years and like them better than frame feeders. Yes there are some bees and/or hornets wasps get in the top some how but I have dead bees in the frame feeders too. Nice part is not having to open the hive to check or fill them.

[@tombrueggen1744]

+Stan Schleusener I really like these feeder for the same reason you said, no need to open the hive. Plus if you have a large swarm or cutout, you can really stack on the feed, up to 3-4 gallons I believe. If it's a large starving swarm they'll take it in just a few days. I really don't like that the frame feeders also consume valuable hive space, and also violate bee space. Thanks for watching!

[@krixig]

Wow, I was just wondering why someone didnt produce a plastic liner just like this, as a potentially leaky wooden medium was the only thing shying me away from a top feeder. Thanks for the heads up!

[@tombrueggen1744]

Yes it's very affordable and works well. Just be sure to not leave feed in there if the bees aren't taking it. I've had feed sit for as little as a week and start causing all sorts of mildew on the bottom of the inner cover from the humidity. I'd recommend only putting in a little bit of feed at first to make sure the bees find and take it, then keep increasing the volumes as needed.

[@jah2440]

Thanks for this video Tom. I seem to be getting mold on my top cover. Should I be using the inner cover on top of the feeder?

[@tombrueggen1744]

I had that happen too. It’s the humidity coming off the feed. I would NOT use the wood inner covers. They aren’t really necessary on top of the feeder anyway. If you could find a plastic inner cover or something more moisture resistant I’d go with that.

[@jah2440]

@@tombrueggen1744 I figured that, they are working to keep her warm! Its a great feeder once i sealed the edges up inside the feeder where the screen meets the plastic. Agree with you on the inner cover, maybe ill grab a plastic one. Appreciate you.

[@YeOldCanuckyGardener]

Cut right down middle of everything. Use some screen to seal gap between wood frame and feeder . Wood shim on frame where there is no plastic to bring it level with plastic. This is for nuc. See video for larger boxes

[@tombrueggen1744]

+CanuckyGardener Gotcha. I watched your video. Well done. I shared it on my facebook. I may actually do the same thing. Honestly though, aside from new hive setup, I don't seem to have hives take feed fast enough to justify this large volume feeder. Thanks for sharing!

[@YeOldCanuckyGardener]

I cut them in half and built nuc feeders. Seal around screen bees push through and drown in great numbers. I used epoxy

[@tombrueggen1744]

+CanuckyGardener I've never had them push around and drown. So you cut right down the middle? Or do along the outer edge of one slot then across middle and down other side of slot? You have a video of that? I"d like to see it. Right now I have jars on my nucs but don't like the potential for dripping on the bees.

[@radheshyama1135]

Thank you for your educational video! Could you please tell us where we can purchase a 10 frame large top feeder like yours?

[@tombrueggen1744]

It's in the title. I bought it from Mann Lake LTD. The plastic insert sits inside a 10 frame dimension box. Not sure if it's a standard depth box (maybe a shallow) but if I recall it was only like 4" tall. I just built a simple square frame.

[@Scovilletech]

Do you need to use an inner cover on top of these or just put on the telescoping cover?

[@tombrueggen1744]

They’re fine without inner cover.

[@captainLeeMunro]

Newbie bee keeper here..... so with this feeder, does the inner cover go above or below the feeder? Hope that's not a stupid question :-)

[@tombrueggen1744]

+captainLeeMunro I put my inner covers above the feeder. Really it's not needed when the feeder is on. I suppose you could leave it below if you wanted. But that would limit traffic to the feeder perhaps. Doesn't really matter either way.

[@davidlagarcelegacyfarms1067]

Ceracell makes a very nice 5 frame feeder.

[@tombrueggen1744]

Thanks.

[@beebob1279]

Did you have issues with the #8 screen rusting? I had these years ago and the screens would rust out on me after two seasons. The plastic insert really is good though. If your hives are light on food you can get them up to where they should be (according to your location) in no time.

[@BrueggensBees]

I don't recall the metallurgy of this screen but it should be stainless or aluminum. I have not noticed any rust yet, and I leave mind sit open to the elements when not on a hive. Aluminum mesh is pretty common in these smaller hardware cloth products.

[@randallmacowan4721]

Cerracell has a great 5 frame feeder.

[@tombrueggen1744]

Good to know! I like running 5 frame hives.

[@theresamilhimes8498]

I bought one from Barn yard bees you have to watch when pouring in the bees are above were you pour great feeder

[@theresamilhimes8498]

Bought for 10 frame box

[@dillinger8534]

I just sit mine on inner cover of 10 frame not on super and have no problem, on a five frame just cut a bottom board to fit with a hole in it with regular Telescoping top and strap down

[@tombrueggen1744]

That makes perfect sense! Using the inner cover and a narrow hole will make them feel like it’s not part of the hive, so less likely to build in it. So simple. Thanks for sharing!

[@mongozzz]

+Tom Brueggen, totally concur with your experiences and conclusions about the pros (and the cons) of this feeder. I've experienced mold when using these feeders (with and without a top cover)...not sure if you've had this problem, but any suggestions to avoid that would be much appreciated! Thanks for the post...great content on this specific topic!

[@tombrueggen1744]

+TheWally Martin Yes I get this too. It's due to the high relative humidity right above the pool of feed. The bees are keeping the feed nice and warm so it's just basically steaming. I'd recommend using a sheet of plastic or something non-absorbent as a vapor barrier. Corrugated plastic sheeting (yard signs) should work excellent.

[@scoldingsum6707]

You could paint the inside of the top of your hive .

[@terrysaunders8948]

nice ifo

[@YeOldCanuckyGardener]

Ps have video on 8 frame conversion on my youtube page

[@tombrueggen1744]

+CanuckyGardener Cool, I'll have a look. Thanks for watching.

[@jasonadams3781]

Tom Brueggen How did these work? I'm looking at them too. Any more feedback?

[@BrueggensBees]

They work very well. But be careful you don't over feed. If the colony isn't big enough, or doesn't take it fast enough, your sugar water can just rot instead. Also it can cause mildew to grow under your inner cover of it stays in there too long. Ideally the bees take it quickly. If you have a strong colony that can drain a quart jar in a day, put on a feeder like this and offer a gallon. Keep track of how quick they take it. Adjust how much you offer by how much they take on a couple day period. Good luck!

[@jasonadams3781]

Brueggens Bees Thanks for the quick reply and great info. Did you have any issues with burr comb as you mentioned in the video?

[@TomBrueggen]

Jason Adams No real issues with burr comb, but I also don't leave them on the hive all the time. Don't have it on the hive unless you are feeding. I've seen them build some combs off the bottom when they were too lazy to take the sugar water all the way down to fill the super below, but again, it was my fault for leaving the feeder on too long.

[@b8hovenusa]

Why don't you cut the box. You can run it nicely through the table saw assembled. Without the insert. Just cut the extra 1/4 inch off or whatever you need to reduce the bee space. That would solve one problem.

[@tombrueggen1744]

I think when I mentioned bee space I was referring to the taper of the plastic sides. The plastic inserts has sloping sides, so it doesn't fit tight in the box. This results in a whole bunch of little gaps around the edges where beetles could hide. Good thought though on if the box was too tall. Thanks for your input, and thanks for watching!

[@CharlesSibbald]

Great fan of Mann Lake products but stay clear of this product in my humble opinion. Internal feeders are still a far better solution.

[@tombrueggen1744]

Charles Sibbald This is an internal feeder. The only bees that can get to it are those inside the hive. Are you suggesting division board feeders? I steer clear of those, haha!

[@CharlesSibbald]

Tom Brueggen I have 10 of these feeders, the bees don't make use of them, I still get loads of drowned bees and have had feed remain unused for over a month. removed them, placed Manlake's Pro Frame feeders and the bees took down half a gallon in 3 days and filled out 8 frames of brood cone in that time. Pity I am not in the states as I would ship all 10 feeders to you free.

[@tombrueggen1744]

+Charles Sibbald I've had mixed results. But get that with all my feeders.

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

They are $50 now 😂

[@BillBard]

Right!? Talk about increase. The unfinished and assembled one with the super is only a few bucks more than the insert by itself now. 😮