On 20 Jan 97 at 6:52, Sid Pullinger wrote: Top Feeders
 
> The Miller feeder came to England and is much used here, as are gravity and
> frame feeders. I have no experience of the Boardman as it has never caught
> on in my part of the world.  It is offered for sale by one appliance firm.
> Would some kind person or persons tell me what are its advantages and
> disadvantages.  If money is a consideration for a hobbyist beekeeper then
 
We find that Boardman feeders can be useful. For those who don't know, the
Boardman feeder fits in the front entrance, normally an inverted jar with
a screw cap, resting in a special cradle with an entrance hole only
accesible from inside the hive, to prevent robbing.
        When we close the top entrance (early spring) sometimes the bees refuse
to take syrup on top of the inner cover. The Boardman does a good job of
simulating a honey flow, as it's coming in through the front door.
        If essential oil becomes an accepted method of Varroa treatment, then
Amrine suggests a Boardman feeder as the best way of introducing oils into
the food chain.
        The only disadvantage I can think of, if the weather warms, there is a
tendency for the liquid in a Boardman feeder to be forced out by the
expansion of the inside air.
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The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia,
Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1
David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171
Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK
http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks
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