ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. -tl 



happened to see an incident within 100 yards of his apiary, a car of 

 sugar was broken down and a great deal of sugar spilled on the ground 

 and the bees went to some watering spouts not far away from there, 

 to get water, then went to the sugar, diluted the sugar and brought it 

 home. 



The President. — And yet some people say bees do not have any 

 intelligence. 



Mr. Bishop. — I should Hke to add something in regard to Mr. 

 Kildow's method of outdoor feeding. My brother and I live next 

 door neighbors and we have about all the bees in that section of the 

 country, there are but very few colonies outside of our own within a 

 distance of some miles. Consequently, when we feed out of doors we 

 do not feed any other than our own bees. Mr. Dadant says he thinks 

 it is a good idea when he looks into the top of a hive in the early spring, 

 to scratch the honey to make it leak. Well, my first and second trips 

 in the spring, when I see what shape they are in, lots of times there is 

 an abundance of honey, and it looks as though the larva were not very 

 well fed. I take a knife and scrape the face of this honey on several 

 frames and they take it right up into the brood nest, and I think that 

 is a good idea, because you can do that without taking it off and it is 

 stimulating. I think it is a good plan. I frequently do this. 



Mr. Kildow. — The question has been raised about the strong 

 colonies getting too much. Let them get too much; take a frame from 

 them to feed the weak, do not have any weak colonies, you will not 

 have any weak colonies if the honey is plenty. When I feed, I feed 

 the syrup warm and I put it in a trough. It is just as warm as though 

 I would take it off and I get pretty lively bees after it. 



Mr. Tyler. — ^Lots of times, when I find an exceptionally weak 

 colony that needs feeding; I take honey from a strong colony to give 

 the weak colony at the side of the brood nest. 



The President. — Doolittle used to dilute his honey and warm it 

 and had a special apparatus, a pan with a lot of fine holes in it that he 

 used to fill the comb with. He put two of those in an eight frame 

 hive. 



Question. — Has any one ever used bottle feeders in the portico 

 of a hive? 



Mr. Kildow. — The paper box feeder and the trough are the only, 

 things I have ever used. 



The Secretary. — I asked that question to know whether any- 

 body else had used it. I have used them and I do not like anything 

 better. I can go and feed a weak colony and the rest will attend to 

 their own business. Just as soon as I go out from my house door I 

 can see when the bottles are empty. 



Mr. Kildow. — If I had a bee yard like yours, where I could see 

 the hives' door from my own door, I would probably do that. 



Question. — Can bees eat candied honey? 



The President. — I have had some candied honey in the hive, 

 but I was never very successful in having them take it out or use it. 

 Possibly the reason was that there was other honey coming in. Really 

 I do not know whether a bee can eat candied honey or not. I suppose 

 they can if they can eat candied sugar. 



