He didn't mention using
> barrels but 3.5 gallon pails instead.

When Horace Bell Honey retired my friend Dave Mendes tried to fill the gap
left. Both operations used Hispanic labor and when labor cost are lower you
can use what many other similar beekeepers consider as labor intensive
methods.

There are two reasons why both Bell & Mendes prefer to top feed. The first
is being able to run 10 frames. The second is you place the syrup right over
the center of the hive.

I personally am not fond of the method but many ways to feed bees. As Bob D.
says the method works very well for the small beekeeper.
If you look at pictures I have taken of commercial hives in Florida you will
see most operations only use a 3/8 piece of plywood (no end pieces) for a
top with a circle hole cut in the center. The top works well in climates
like Florida and has a low cost (as compared to regular migratory tops).
Plus cutting holes in the center of migratory tops limits resale to only
those which want tops with a hold cut in the center.

I am feeding hives Monday morning in the quarry. My method is similar to
every Midwestern commercial beekeeper I know. All my friends use the same
method. The method has some drawbacks but also some advantages.

When I finish the post I will walk out and climb on a forklift and pick up a
275 gallon tote with sucrose and sit on a flatbed truck. Attach one strap.
use the forklift to lift up a pallet with a pump and hose. Tie down. Drive
to the holding yard Monday and pump a gallon of feed in hives needing feed.
less
than a minute a hive. The inside feeder replaces one of the frames of the
hive.

*Drawback* inside feeder is at the side of the cluster. You lose a frame in
the brood nest.

Some of my friends use a inside feeder in every brood box but I only use one
in the top box.
 They fill both when feeding in California, Texas or Florida or in remote
areas. Saves two trips. The 3.5 gallon bucket Mendes uses is to save trips
( a member of the list uses 5 gallon buckets inverted) but many of these
guys do not pop lids. Maybe I am a spend thrift and worry about the bottom
line too much but I like to see the results of feeding.

I use a method at times similar to Michael Palmer and actually weigh each
hive and mark the number of gallons needed to bring the hive up to winter
weight. Weighing takes the guess work out of the equation.

Michael has posted pictures of his method which is similar to mine except I
use a Mann Lake tool to remove the hive from the 4 way pallet and sit on a
Palouse 400 pound digital scale with a remote reader.

Once the number of gallons needed is marked on the hive cover the person
feeding simply marks every time he adds a gallon on the lid. Hives not
needing feed have a check mark .

As we move around the holding yard I drive the truck dragging the hose
along. The lids are slid over only enough to expose the feeder and then slid
back with the person operating the gas pump type filler when the feeder is
full.
I used the gas pump like filler to help show what is commonly used. I
actually quit using those years ago as after a day of pumping syrup with one
of those your hand is numb so we use a simple ball valve .

The list needs to always keep in mind commercial beekeepers have been on the
endangered species list in the U.S. since WW2 when their numbers have
dropped every year. When we post the reason is so members can understand the
way we operate to save time and money not suggesting a beekeeper with a few
hives needs a tote and gasoline pump.

Barrel feeding in the U.S. from my experience is not very popular. I see
used in holding yards in California but syrup costs have skyrocketed and
many drawbacks to barrel feeding. I never open barrel feed my bees.

I see some possible waste in over feeding with using larger pails *unless*
through weighing or hefting the amount of syrup needed is known.

All beekeeping is local and on a remote prairie in Canada barrel feeding
might work well. In Florida the barrel would be full of other insects as
bees.

In California our holding yard was in flying distance of a beekeeper with
around ten drums open feeding. I am sure our bees joined in the open feeding
next door. We were using inside frame feeders,

bob

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