1870.] ON THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 207 



if one can be obtained ; in which case, if the queen be present, the 

 inserted cell will be torn open at the side as before described, and the 

 contents withdrawn ■ but if the queen be lost, the inserted queen-cell 

 will remain intact until the young queen is hatched, and she, of course, 

 will be liable to the same series of accidents as her predecessor. 



The foregoing are some of the causes of failure and consequent 

 disappointment under the prevailing system of bee-keeping, which 

 the bee-master should recognise and remedy by adopting the best 

 means in his power. In the case of hives with movable combs, the 

 absence of a queen may be discovered immediately, as there will be 

 no eggs or larvae in the hive, and there will almost certainly be queen- 

 cells raised or being raised. Of course it is not in the power of man 

 to control the seasons, but he may control the bees, and regulate their 

 propensity to increase their numbers, so as to insure healthy stocks 

 and a sufficiency of working bees to collect the honey it is desired 

 should be obtained — knowing, as he should know, the time or times 

 when honey is abundant. The loss of young queens and the death of 

 old ones cannot be controlled ; but, as I have shown, it may be remedied, 

 either by uniting the stocks, or inserting another queen or queen-cell, 

 the manner of doing which is more easily described than effected in 

 the case of straw skeps, especially as regards the introduction of 

 queens. For the present (the month of December), if stocks of bees 

 are sufficiently numerous to keep up the temperature inside the hives, 

 and are in dry winter-quarters, sheltered from rain, wind, and snow, 

 with sufficient food, that is all they require. If comparatively few in 

 numbers, and light in weight, it would be quite safe to give a stock 

 2 or 3 pounds of syrup. The syrup should be made of 5 pounds of 

 loaf-sugar, boiled in 2 quarts of water, which will produce about 

 7 pounds of syrup, costing about 4d. per pound. The bees should 

 only be fed on mild nights. The syrup should be put into bottles, 

 each of which should have tied over the mouth a piece of canvas, and 

 inserted over a piece of perforated zinc or tin, fixed horizontally on 

 the openings in the top of each hive. The bottles containing the syrup 

 should be removed during the daytime, otherwise the bees might be 

 tempted to think summer had come, and in their excitement they 

 would fly abroad and perish. Bee-keepers had much better believe 

 this as a theory, and not attempt to reduce it to practice, especially in 

 the case of weak stocks. 



An excellent protection to bees in a straw skep is a hayband bound 

 round it, or a bottomless sack that will go over it loosely, and make 

 a tidy covering when stuffed all round with hay or sawdust, and will 

 effectually keep out the cold, besides affording access to the top of 

 the hive when it is requisite to feed the bees. 



