On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, George C Walker III wrote:
> Thanks for the description of the hivetop feeder.  Please give more
> instruction on the wire mesh cage over the island.  What size material?
> How placed over the hole? How bees access feed?
 
There are many different designs for the island and cage parts of the
feeders. Suppose the island is a single 3" X 3" X 3" block of wood glued
to the bottom of the plywood pan. It would have a 1" hole drilled right
through from the top of the block to the bottom and on through the bottom
of the pan. The bees then access the feed by crawling up through the hole
and down the outside of the island to the level of the sugar syrup.
 
Unfortunately, some of them float away from the island into the syrup and
drown. To prevent this, one makes a 3.5" x 3.5" x 3.5"  box of sheet
metal or wire mesh or thin plywood and inverts it over the island. This
cage allows them to crawl down the sides of the island but prevents them
from floating or flying into the syrup.
 
It does not seem to matter much what the cage is made of. I make mine with
four sides of 3/8" plywood and a 1/8" wire mesh top. The only real utility
of the mesh is to allow a view of the bees feeding and a place to smoke
them when removing the feeder. The commercial ones all seem to use two
squares of plywood for the ends joined by a piece of sheet metal bent
around to form the top and other two sides.
 
Best regards,
 
Donald Aitken
11710-129 Street
Edmonton Alberta Canada
T5M 0Y7