Layens Frame feeder

Food-grade rigid plastic, 2–2.5 L capacity, fits in place of a Layens frame — the cleanest system for liquid feeding.

📐 Layens frame format — replaces a piece, doesn't add space

Outer dimensions 365 mm top bar × 230 mm height × 39 mm width, sized to fit the slot of a standard Layens frame. It hangs from the top bar like a normal frame, the lugs rest on the rebates of the box and it sits flush in the brood nest. You don't have to open the roof or add a feeding eke: just swap one of the side frames (the storage zone, not brood) for the feeder and refill. Installation takes 30 seconds.

🐝 Food-grade rigid plastic and anti-drowning design

The plastic is rigid food-grade, doesn't deform under the weight of syrup and doesn't transfer odours or flavours. The interior surface has a non-slip texture so bees can climb without slipping and drink without falling into the syrup — the classic problem of frame feeders with smooth walls, where bees drown the moment the level drops. The exterior cleans up quickly with hot water (up to 60 ºC) and a little bleach for disinfection between seasons or between hives with suspected disease.

💡 Frame feeder or top feeder?

Frame feeder (this model) — pick when: you're doing pre-flow stimulation and supporting young nucs in mild weather, where you can open the hive without stressing the colony too much; you have limited headroom under the roof or don't want to add a feeding eke; or you only need to feed 1–2 specific hives in a visit.

A top feeder works better when: you're feeding in cold weather (autumn-winter) and need to refill without opening the hive to avoid chilling the brood; you manage many hives and refilling speed matters (refilling 50 top feeders is much faster than opening 50 hives); or you're delivering large quantities (5–7 kg of syrup in one visit for autumn build-up).