Types of Honeybee Feeders

Many gardeners and hobbyists feed honeybees to keep them in the area so they will help pollinate flowers, creating a generally healthier garden and natural environment. There are a number of different honeybee feeders that can be used to keep your local honeybee population happy and well fed.

  1. Entrance Feeders

    • Entrance feeders have two basic parts: a feeding tray that is inserted into the entrance of the faux hive structure and an inverted syrup container that it fits into, yet remains on the outside of the hive. This makes it easy to see when syrup needs to be refilled. It also attracts more honeybees, because it is easier for them to detect and access. However, this may also draw other insects or animals that are attracted to the sweet syrup. This feeder is also not very good in cold weather, because it provides little to no insulation for the honeybees.

    Division Board Feeders

    • Division board feeders are frames that are inserted into the actual hive box in place of one of the dividers. There are pluses and minuses about these feeders. The clever design makes these feeders easy to maintain and refill, and keeps other insects and animals from robbing the feeder and disturbing or displacing the honeybees. However, problems lie in the design of these frames, since honeybees can sometimes drown in the actual syrup or sweet liquid due to the design. If the feeders are allowed to go empty, the bees will often comb the inside, jamming up all the rest of the dividers in the hive and forcing you to have to disturb or kill some of your honeybees.

    Baggie Feeders

    • A simple design, baggie feeders are little more than a spacer rim inside the hive that gives you a place to lay a plastic zipper bag filled with syrup. Once the bag is in place, you simply slit it with a utility knife and allow the honeybees to drink from the bag at their leisure. A few will crawl inside the plastic bag and die, but overall, honeybees do well with these simply designed feeders. Heat from the cluster will also allow these feeders to work in cold weather. The downside is that once the bag is slit, it is impossible to move and is a one-time use, which is ultimately environmentally unfriendly.