Feeders (10-Frame)

10-Frame Top Feeders

You use bee feeders when the temperatures rise or fall too much for foraging. They’re a common necessity during summer heat waves in the South, and especially during the winter when it's freezing and there aren't many blooming flowers for honey bees to feed from. Generally, bees won’t forage if the weather is hotter than 100 degrees or below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. During these temperature extremes, they'll rely on you, their keeper, to feed them.

Bee feeders help to supplement them and keep them strong until the weather is good enough for them to forage again. At Dadant & Sons, we have several options to choose from, including 10-frame top feeders, entrance feeders, and various frame feeder sizes to suit your hive setup.

Using a feeder is straightforward. For our 10-frame top feeders, place the feeder on top of the hive body, directly under the outer cover. Then, fill the bee hive top feeder with your feed, like a sugar water mixture or bee patties. Other types, such as entrance feeders, fit into the hive's entrance. Frame feeders take the place of a frame inside the hive body to allow easy access for the bees. While all these feeders vary in design and placement, they all effectively provide the necessary nutrients your colony needs to survive.