A hivetop feeder is similar to a shallow super with a plywood bottom glued to it. This makes a wooden pan which contains the syrup. To get the bees to the syrup one adds a wooden island in the middle . A hole is cut in the middle of the island to let the bees climb up from below. To keep the bees from flying into the syrup and drowning, a wire mesh cage can be put over the island. In the actual construction, I use plwood with dadoed joints for the sides and a rabbeted groove for the bottom. I believe this makes them more syrup proof. The height of the island is about 1/2 inch less than the depth of the pan. Donald Aitken 11710-129 Street Edmonton Alberta Canada T5M 0Y7