Looking to draw more bees to your garden with a bee feeder? There are several options to choose from. So, just what are the best bee feeders for your garden?
5 Best Bee Feeders For Your Garden
There are several bee feeders worth taking a look at. In fact, having more than one bee feeder is a good idea since bees can always benefit from additional food sources.
Here’s the overall list.
Quick List
The five best bee feeders for your garden are:
- BeesNise Entrance Feeder Pack
- VIVO Boardman Light Wood Entrance Feeder
- Navaris Bee Watering Station
- Sunvara Bee Feeder Pack
- Aukbeefun Round Bee Feeder Pack
1 – BeesNise Entrance Feeder Pack
In this pack, you get several small plastic bee feeders designed to sit on the entrance to a hive. A big perk is they’re so easy to use. Simply remove the lid, add the sugar syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, let it cool, then add it to the feeder), and pop the feeder onto the hive.
The feeders are durable and easy to clean. Their lids are aluminum and also durable.
Unfortunately, this set requires mason jars but doesn’t come with any. So, while this is an affordable option, there are additional costs.
Pros
- User-friendly
- Made from high-quality materials
- Compatible with most standard-sized mason jars
Cons
- Mason jars not included
- Some users report the bottom of the feeder is leaky
2 – VIVO Boardman Light Wood Entrance Feeder
The VIVO Entrance Feeder is another beehive feeder, like the BeeNise feeders. Due to its stair-step wood-and-stainless-steel construction, the VIVO feeder is durable and elegant.
The feeder is pre-made. Also, its look fits nicely with most beehive designs. It still doesn’t come with mason jars, and some users complained the edges were sharp, so it’s essential to watch your fingers when handling.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Well-constructed
- Easy to use
Cons
- Mason jars not included
- Only one feeder included
3 – Navaris Bee Watering Station
The Navaris Bee Watering Station is an elegant choice for feeding bees. Even without its benefits to bees, its pretty design adds to your garden’s beauty.
In addition, you can use the Navaris Bee Watering Station to provide bees with water, or you can fill it with sugar water instead (combine and boil three teaspoons of sugar for every one cup of water until the sugar dissolves, let it cool, and add it to the feeder).
However, it’s essential to remember that since this feeder is ceramic, it’ll crack or break if dropped. Plus, it’ll crack if it freezes, so bring it inside during the colder months.
Pros
- Great decorative item
- Easy to fill and clean
- Comes with glass pebbles
Cons
- More expensive than other feeders
- More fragile than other feeders
4 – Sunvara Bee Feeder Pack
The Sunvara Bee Feeder is one of the most versatile on this list, as you can use it on the hive or as a freestanding feeder. It also comes with a plastic jar you can fill with sugar water or syrup.
In addition, you get three feeders for a great price, so it’s ideal if you need something budget-friendly. Moreover, the feeders’ yellow coloring is attractive to bees (and brightens up your garden).
Just remember these feeders are lightweight since they’re plastic. You’ll want to monitor how well they hold up to wind, but you can solve that by weighing them down.
Pros
- Versatile
- Comes with everything you need
- Durable
Cons
- May be too lightweight
- Some users report that finding the correct flow can be difficult
5 – Aukbeefun Round Bee Feeder
The Aukbeefun Round Bee Feeders are plastic, so they’re durable. They’re also easy to clean, as you only need to open them up. Filling them is easy, too, for the same reason.
The manufacturer did design these for beehives specifically, so unless you’re a beekeeper, these bee feeders likely won’t be for you. But if you are a beekeeper, you’re looking at a great bee-feeding option here.
Each feeder holds a half-gallon of liquid food and prevents bees from falling into the food and drowning. Moreover, the feeders come with a dustproof cover to further prevent contamination.
Pros
- Comes in a pack of one, two, or four
- Easy to use
- Safety features to protect the bees
Cons
- Expensive
- Unattractive design
Choosing A Bee Feeder
It might be easy to assume that selecting a bee feeder is easy. In some ways, it is. However, there are still important considerations to take into account.
Here’s what they are.
Feeder Type
There are several types of bee feeders to choose from. Each has its pros and cons.
Let’s start with open-air feeders.
Open-Air Feeders
Open-air feeders are exactly what you’d expect: an open design bees can fly up to and collect food from.
This will likely be your go-to bee feeder if you don’t own a hive. But while they are effective, they can also attract other insects and wildlife.
For this reason, some bee experts say they’re no good. That’s because of the risk of the transmission of diseases. However, if you must use an open-air feeder, good hygiene is essential, and I recommend cleaning the feeder every time you change the food.
Hive Feeders
Most manufacturers design feeders for use with a beehive. There are a few different designs, each with pros and cons.
Here’s what they are.
Entrance Feeders
Entrance feeders have a jar (filled with sugar syrup) in a tray. The jar remains outside the hive while you slide the tray into the hive’s entrance. The sugar syrup drips from the jar into the tray.
These feeders are great because they’re simple, and you get a good view of the food level and its condition. However, the sugar syrup can freeze over winter (which is a problem for any outdoor feeder).
Top Feeders
As their name implies, you place top feeders on top of a bee hive, just under the cover. They’re a popular choice among beekeepers since they’re easy to fill without upsetting the bees. Moreover, they’re safe, as they usually have a safety screen to stop bees from falling in and drowning.
However, you’ll need to be careful when moving the feeder while it’s full, as things could get messy.
In-Hive Feeders
You place in-hive feeders inside one of your hive’s frames. You can buy these feeders for an eight- or ten-frame hive.
These feeders are secure and prevent bees from other colonies getting a look in. Moreover, they hold more sugar syrup than other types of feeders.
Baggie Feeders
Baggie feeders are one of the most affordable feeder types. They have a plastic bag you fill with sugar syrup and place underneath the inner cover of a hive.
However, you will need to replace these bags regularly, so their costs will add up over time.
Durability and Construction
Whether buying a budget-friendly bee feeder or something more expensive, looking at equipment quality is vital. The last thing you want is a feeder that quickly becomes defective.
Look at the materials manufacturers use to make the feeder and how well they’ve put it together. This will tell you a lot about the durability of the feeder and how much use you can get out of it.
To help, check user reviews to see what they’re saying.
Price
Generally, bee feeders cost between $10 and $20. Of course, many exceptions exist, and some feeders I’ve discussed in the list above exceed these prices.
But it’s important to consider what you want from your feeder and set a realistic budget. For example, if you simply want to attract bees to your garden, you might be happier with a budget-friendly open-air feeder.
On the other hand, if you’re a serious beekeeper, you’ll likely want to invest in equipment that will last.
What To Put In A Bee Feeder
Bees collect nectar from flowers (and pollen), a sugary substance that gives them the energy they need to keep flying.
Making your own “nectar” at home is easy, which you can then add to your bee feeder. In most cases, you’ll need to use a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water and heat the mixture until it starts boiling. Allow it to cool before adding it to your feeder.
If you don’t want to make your own sugar syrup, lots of liquid bee feeds are also available on the market. The only thing I’d urge you to consider here is that this will be more expensive than making a DIY syrup.
Things To Avoid
Many people assume bees can eat anything sweet, but that’s not the case. When caring for these amazing creatures, we want to replicate their natural diet as best as possible. This means avoiding certain types of food.
Avoid any type of sweet food that contains additives or artificial colors. This includes things like fondant and icing.
Moreover, when making your sugar syrup, use plain white sugar. Brown sugar contains a lot of molasses, which is unsuitable for bees because they cannot digest it.
Also, avoid giving bees honey. Bees should only ever eat their own honey. Other honey can contain diseases, which might kill off the entire colony.
Where To Place A Bee Feeder
For this section, I will assume you’re using an open-air feeder.
Bees like to forage in sunny and warm spots, so keep these things in mind when placing a bee feeder. You can also place your feeder near or among flowers, making it easier for bees to find it since they’ll be visiting that spot anyway.
Using A Bee Feeder As A Beekeeper
Being a beekeeper can be challenging at times, and ensuring your colony survives the winter is one of the biggest challenges. In fact, many new beekeepers often lose their colonies after the first winter, which can be deeply upsetting. What’s more, when getting your colony settled in, you’ll need to give it a helping hand.
When Establishing A Colony
When you introduce a package of bees to a new hive, they need time to get accustomed to it.
At this moment, the colony will be quite weak because they aren’t familiar with the surroundings or where the best food sources are. Worker bees will need to scout the area and find the best food, but this can take some time.
While they get used to life in the area, your bees will benefit from additional nutrition, which you can provide in your bee feeder.
A healthy colony should be able to prepare enough honey and resources for itself. But this doesn’t happen immediately, and starvation is one of the most common ways a colony meets its demise.
In Preparation For Winter
Bees need a good store of honey to survive the winter. Honey bees cannot fly in cold temperatures, so they’ll gather inside the hive and enter a state of diminished activity to conserve energy.
During this time, they’ll feed on any honey stored in the honeycomb cells. The bees have worked hard over spring and summer for this food, but sometimes, they can’t make enough.
In this case, you need to provide a supplementary form of nutrition. Otherwise, the colony may not make it through the colder months.
This is also why you should only take a little honey from the hive. For a fully established colony, you’ll need to leave between 90 and 100 lbs of honey. While it is nice to be able to harvest some of this sweet substance for your own use, it’s more important to ensure the bees can survive.