Entrance-style Boardman Feeders function primarily as a non-intrusive mechanism to supplement a honeybee colony's diet without disrupting the hive's internal environment. Installed directly at the hive entrance, these devices allow apiary managers to replenish sugar syrup stores efficiently while maintaining the colony's thermal seal. Their design is specifically engineered to support early population expansion during critical seasonal transitions.
The core value of the Boardman Feeder is its ability to provide essential nutrition and consumption data during late winter and early spring without requiring the beekeeper to open the hive.
Strategic Nutritional Support
Fueling Early Colony Expansion
The primary biological function of this feeder is to bridge the nutritional gap during late winter and early spring.
During these periods, natural nectar sources are often scarce or non-existent. The feeder ensures the colony has sufficient energy to ramp up brood rearing and population growth before the first major blooms occur.
Preservation of Hive Climate
A critical advantage of the entrance-style design is the ability to refill food without opening the hive.
Opening a hive during cooler months releases vital heat and stresses the colony. By keeping the main hive body closed, this feeder allows for nutritional maintenance while preserving the internal temperature required for brood development.
Operational Visibility and Monitoring
Visual Consumption Tracking
Boardman Feeders are equipped with transparent containers, transforming feeding into a data-gathering activity.
This transparency allows for immediate, visual verification of the syrup levels. Management personnel can gauge the rate of consumption at a glance, eliminating the need for invasive inspections to check food stores.
Monitoring Colony Activity
The rate at which a colony empties the transparent container serves as a direct monitor of feeding activity.
A rapid intake of syrup confirms the colony is active and expanding, while a cessation of feeding during mild weather can serve as an early warning sign of colony health issues.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Vulnerability at the Entrance
Because these feeders are installed at the hive entrance, the food source is located at the colony's perimeter rather than deep inside the hive.
This positioning can potentially attract robber bees from other colonies or pests, as the scent of syrup is easily detected at the entrance. It requires the colony to be strong enough to defend this access point.
Temperature Sensitivity
While useful for late winter feeding, the external nature of the feeder exposes the syrup to ambient air temperatures.
Unlike internal feeders which are warmed by the colony cluster, syrup in a Boardman feeder can become too cold for bees to metabolize or may freeze in extreme drops of temperature, potentially limiting access during the coldest nights.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
To effectively utilize Boardman Feeders for your colony management, align their use with your specific objectives:
- If your primary focus is rapid assessment: You should utilize this feeder to monitor consumption rates daily through the transparent reservoir without disturbing the bees.
- If your primary focus is early season growth: You should deploy these feeders in late winter to stimulate brood rearing before natural nectar flows begin.
By leveraging the non-intrusive nature of entrance feeders, you can provide critical support to your bees when they are most vulnerable.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Function & Benefit |
|---|---|
| Placement | Entrance-style for non-intrusive refills without heat loss |
| Primary Use | Late winter and early spring nutritional supplementation |
| Monitoring | Transparent design for instant visual consumption tracking |
| Growth Stimulus | Encourages early brood rearing before natural nectar flows |
| Climate Control | Maintains internal thermal seal during cold-weather feeding |
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References
- Tânia Patrícia Schafaschek, Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo. <b>Performance of Africanized honeybee colonies settled by queens selected for different traits. DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v38i1.26840
This article is also based on technical information from HonestBee Knowledge Base .
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