Tint Plugs For Bucket Feeders

A tint plug turns a bucket you already own into a hive top feeder. Drill a 1 15/16 inch hole in the lid, fit the plug, pierce a few small holes through it, and the bees draw syrup down through them.

Two things make it better than a screened lid. It fits any bucket rather than one particular size, and topping up never means prising the whole lid off, so the seal stays good and the bucket lasts years instead of a season.

How pail feeding works

Fill the bucket close to the brim with syrup, fit the lid with the plug in place, then turn the whole thing upside down. The vacuum holds the syrup up inside the pail and releases only what the bees take. Bob Binnie has covered the method on video if you would rather watch it than read it.

Sit the inverted pail straight onto the top bars, or over the hole in the inner cover. The bees come up to the plug and lick at it, and more syrup drips through as fast as they feed.

Two things to get right

Fill the bucket all the way. A part filled pail holds too much air and the syrup will pour out when you flip it over.

Put an empty hive body and a lid around the feeder. It keeps the pail enclosed and stops an open feeder drawing robbers from every hive in the yard.

Specifications

Part of our hive feeders range.