6 Bee Feeder Options For Small Apiaries That Prevent Common Issues

You walk out to your hives on a sunny afternoon to refill the feeder, only to find a dozen of your own bees floating in the sugar syrup. It’s a frustrating and common sight for beekeepers, a small-scale tragedy that weakens the colony one forager at a time. The right feeder not only prevents this unnecessary loss but also helps you avoid a far greater threat: a robbing frenzy that can destroy a hive in a single day.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Choosing a Feeder to Avoid Drowning and Robbing

The two biggest headaches with feeding are drowned bees and robbing. Drowning is a straightforward loss of foragers, a constant drain on the hive’s workforce. Robbing, however, can escalate from a minor nuisance to a full-blown apiary disaster that wipes out weak hives and spreads diseases like wildfire.

The best feeders are designed to mitigate both risks. They work by either placing the feed entirely inside the hive, hidden from outsiders, or by incorporating physical barriers that prevent bees from falling into the syrup. Choosing the right one isn’t about finding the single "best" feeder on the market. It’s about matching the tool to the season, your colony’s needs, and your management style.

Mann Lake Boardman Feeder: A Common Starting Point

The Boardman feeder is what most new beekeepers get in their starter kits. It’s a simple entrance feeder that uses a standard Mason jar, fitting snugly into the hive entrance. Its primary advantage is visibility; you can see the syrup level from twenty feet away without ever cracking open the hive. This makes quick checks easy.

But that’s where the benefits end. Boardman feeders are notorious for encouraging robbing. Placing a food source right at the front door is like putting up a neon sign for every hungry wasp and robber bee in the neighborhood. This makes them a poor choice for fall feeding when nectar is scarce or for any hive that isn’t overwhelmingly strong and capable of defending its entrance.

Ceracell Top Feeder: Bulk Feeding Without Drowning

Top feeders sit directly on the uppermost hive box, right under the outer cover, which allows you to deliver a large volume of syrup at once. The Ceracell model is a standout because its design solves the drowning problem common to open-pan style feeders. It features a central chimney and side access points covered with clear caps, letting bees climb up to the syrup without ever having a chance to fall in.

With a Ceracell, you can pour in a gallon or more of syrup, a massive time-saver if you’re feeding multiple hives during a nectar dearth. The clear caps also let you peek at the bees’ feeding activity without releasing heat or disturbing the cluster. The only real tradeoff is the initial cost, which is higher than simpler options. For a beekeeper managing several hives, however, the time savings and elimination of bee loss can easily justify the investment.

Acorn Frame Feeder: In-Hive Feeding to Stop Robbing

Frame feeders, also called division board feeders, take the place of one or two frames inside the hive body. This is the most effective solution for preventing robbing. Because the syrup is entirely contained within the hive, marauding bees and wasps never even know it’s there.

The Acorn brand is popular because its plastic construction includes built-in ladders and textured sides, giving bees a rough surface to grip. This feature dramatically reduces the number of drowned bees compared to smooth-sided or homemade versions. The primary drawback is that you have to completely open the hive to refill it, which disrupts the colony and can be a hassle in cool or rainy weather. They also take up valuable space that could be used for brood or honey, making them better for temporary feeding than as a permanent fixture.

Ultimate Hive Top Feeder: Easy Access and Refills

This feeder attempts to combine the best of both worlds: the high capacity of a top feeder with the easy-refill convenience of an entrance feeder. It sits on top of the inner cover, and bees access a central reservoir from the safety of the hive below. Its key feature is an external refill port located at the corner.

You simply pop a cap and pour in syrup without suiting up, lighting a smoker, or disturbing the bees in any way. This makes refills incredibly fast and low-stress for both the beekeeper and the colony. Like the Ceracell, its design prevents drowning by keeping bees separated from the main pool of syrup. The main consideration is ensuring a good seal with your outer cover to prevent ants and other pests from finding their way to a sweet, easy meal.

Betterbee Rapid Feeder: Fast Feeding in the Spring

The Rapid Feeder is a round, inverted-pail-style feeder that sits over the hole in the inner cover. It’s designed for exactly what its name implies: getting a lot of syrup into a colony, fast. This makes it perfect for stimulating brood production in a new package in the spring or giving a quick boost to a hive that’s light on stores.

Bees access the syrup from underneath through a central screened cup, which completely prevents drowning. Because it’s a top feeder, it’s far less likely to incite robbing than an entrance feeder. Its main limitation is capacity. It typically holds less than a gallon, so it isn’t the best choice for heavy fall feeding where you might need to provide several gallons at once to get a hive up to its winter weight.

The Baggie Feeder Method: A Low-Cost, Safe Option

For the beekeeper on a tight budget, the baggie feeder is a surprisingly effective and safe option. The process is simple: fill a heavy-duty, one-gallon zip-top bag with syrup, carefully push out the excess air, and seal it. You then place the bag directly on the top bars of the frames and use a sharp blade to cut a few 2-3 inch slits in the top plastic.

Bees will crawl onto the bag and drink the syrup that slowly wicks up through the slits. There is virtually zero chance of drowning, and since the feed is entirely inside the hive, it doesn’t attract robbers. This method is cheap and disposable, eliminating the need to clean and store feeders. The downsides are the creation of plastic waste and the fact that a leaky bag can create a huge, sticky mess inside the hive. You also have to open the hive to place and remove the bag.

Key Factors: Capacity, Robbing, and Hive Access

When you’re deciding which feeder to buy, it really comes down to three practical considerations: how much syrup you need to deliver, the current robbing risk, and how you want to access the hive.

• Capacity: Are you providing a gallon a week for fall buildup, or just a quart for spring stimulation? Top feeders excel at high-volume feeding, while frame feeders and rapid feeders are better for smaller, targeted amounts.
• Robbing Risk: Is it late summer when yellow jackets are aggressive and neighboring hives are looking for an easy meal? If so, any external feeder is a liability. In-hive options like frame feeders, top feeders, or baggies are the safest bet.
• Hive Access: How much time do you have? If you can only visit your apiary on weekends, a high-capacity top feeder that you can fill and forget is ideal. For the quickest possible refill with zero disturbance, a top feeder with an external port is unmatched.

Ultimately, many beekeepers own two or three different types of feeders. You might use a rapid feeder for spring, a frame feeder to help a weak nucleus colony get established, and a large top feeder for winter preparations. Matching the feeder to the season and the colony’s specific need is the real key to success.

The "best" feeder is simply the one that solves a specific problem for your bees at a specific time. Choosing thoughtfully prevents the common and frustrating pitfalls of drowning and robbing. That simple decision leads to stronger, healthier, and more productive colonies in your apiary.