Several small items around feeding make the work faster and safer.

Floats and ladders

The most underestimated accessory. A feeder without a ladder costs hundreds of bees per filling.

• A floating grid
• Cork, straw or wood wool
• A ribbed or roughened inner wall
• A raised wall the bees can climb

For mixing

• A measuring jug so the ratio is right; thick for winter stores, thin for stimulation
• A stirrer or large spoon
• Warm water; sugar dissolves faster in it
• A closed vessel for mixed syrup

Do not mix more than will be taken within a few days; syrup left standing ferments.

For filling

• A jug with a spout or a hose with a tap; spillage is the commonest trigger of robbing
• A bucket with a lid for carrying across the apiary
• A cloth to wipe up spilt syrup immediately

Covers

Feeders should be covered so bees from outside cannot reach them. An open feeder inside the hive attracts robbers that find the entrance.

Hygiene

• Clean everything after use and dry completely
• Leftover syrup ferments and goes mouldy
• Leave no detergent residue
• Do not move feeders between colonies without cleaning

Recording

Note what you gave, how much and when. At wintering that is the only way to know whether a colony genuinely has enough.

The boundary

Do not feed with supers on.