Ziploc Bag Feeders

Hive-top feeders have many advantages, but primarily benefit is related to hive stress. Each time the hive is opened it is the equivalent of your home roof being blown off by a hurricane. It is important to keep the hive's stress level low; with my mason jar feeders this was not being done. Each time I needed to refill a jar (elevated on two small stilts) the top of the hive needed to be taken off and numerous top-bars removed to reach the feeder. This was causing undue stress and I looked to the greatest product roll-out of 1968, the Ziploc Bag.

By filling a ziplock bag with sugar syrup and placing them atop the bars, it creates a large surface area for feeding. By taking a sewing needle (etc.) it is easy to pierce a good quantity of holes ON THE UPPER LAYER OF PLASTIC. Any air in the baggie is released through these and the bees can then insert their proboscis for food. A large quantity of bees are able to feed at once, in contrast to the small area of a pierced mason jar lid. 

Important note: Be sure there are spacers to elevate the lid above the baggie, to allow the bees to feed and not pop the bag open.