1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



199 



sity for feeding; and if they are empty, there 

 are plenty of feeders, of course He cau- 

 tioned his readers against alio ing any ex- 

 citement that might bring on robbmg, and 

 adwsed nserting ihf cnmbs late m the day 

 so that by mornmg, every thing would be 

 cleaned up in hi& later book, • Korty Ytais 

 Among 'he Bees," I "Ote that he has ban- 

 doned comb feeding, and uses regular feed- 

 ers instead 



For fall feeding, when one wi>hes to feed 

 a large quantity quickly the feeder plan may 

 be ttie best; yet for both fall and spang 

 feeding I still ihiik the combs are the most 

 r . satisfactory. There are never any feeders 

 f lying around in the way and I am never 

 both, red by leaks when I put ti em in the 

 hives, caused by shrinkage, etc. The re. 1 

 value of feeding m the c< mbs is in the 

 spring It vtrr> often happens that I have a 

 number of colonies that are snor of stores 

 when they come out of winter quarters. I 

 realize that it is bet er to have them ted suf 

 ficiently in ttie fall to last until fruit bloom; 

 but although I ha\ e iried to provide sutii- 

 cient eveiy fall, I have not yet succeeded in 

 ha< ing o// colonies com^ up to fruit bl"om 

 without more or less fee( ing. B> the way, 

 I do not know how we can make ol ars gn.w 

 any faster than by g'vmg strong C'lnnits an 

 I abundance of stores, so tl'at they will never 

 be short during t- e breeding period preced- 

 ing the flow. Many times I have lost money 

 by allowing good colonies to go through tl is 

 trying period a little too near the "pauper 

 line," tor just as surety as the sun rises, the 

 queens will s-lacken their egg laving if the 

 honey is getting scarce and no more is ia 

 sight. 



I have done but very little real stimulative 

 feeding — that is, feeding a little every day or 

 every other day. 1 do not know whether 

 this would pay me or not; but if a colony is 

 short of sioies in the spring 1 usually irsert 

 two combs of two- to-one syrup, which will 

 am lunt to six or seven pounds. I do this 

 toward evening, and then, a week or so 

 later, I can repeat the process if n* c* s>ary. 

 If I have any daik honey I use it up in this 

 way. 



I realize that the strain of bees is impor- 

 tant; but providing an abundance of stores 

 during the spring months, or at any time 

 when colonies are being built up for an an- 

 ticipated flow, is important too It may be 

 urged that filling tne conibs is too much 

 work; but it is not when one learns how to 

 do it. Dr. Miller, in his fi^st book described 

 his way of filling the con bs by p inching the 

 bottom of a can full of holes and holding this 

 full of syrup over the combs to be filled. I 

 usually "follow a me' hod of my own, and it is 

 much shorter than one would think The 

 syrup should be warmed to about 120 de- 

 grees Fahr. I use a large dishpan over 

 which the comb may be inclined at an angle 

 of about 45 degites, and dip up the syiup 

 __ with the cup and pour it into the cells, hold- 

 K ing the cup about a foot from the upper end 

 ^K of the comb. As the syrup runs down the 

 ^H comb the cells are filled more or less. Then 



I keep working down with the cup with a 

 sort of drenching motion, turn the comb 

 over, and repeat 'he process on the oiher 

 side. I pi ce the filled combs in a hive-body 

 which stands over a large pan. I never 

 timed myself, but I can f 11 fifty combs in a 

 ve'y little while. 



The colonies that I want to feed are p''e- 

 viously marked, each hive being marked 

 with the number of c-mbs needed, and ihe 

 space for such combs left in readiness. To- 

 ward evening, with a smoker, I quickly in- 

 sert the combs and cover every thing up 

 warm. I have found that b.es will take syr- 

 up from combs when they will not wo k in a 

 feeder on account of cool nights. It I had 

 only twenty five i-r thirty colonies I miyht 

 take the time to fuss w th teeders; but with 

 a larger number it is much quicker and 

 easier to feed in the combs The more fuss- 

 ing there is to the woik of leeding, the 

 more one negU cts it. 1 usually make the 

 syrup a little i.eavier than two to one; per- 

 haps it s often as thick as three to one. 

 Even in the spring I think it is a good plan 

 to have the syi up at least as heavy as two to 

 one. 



Randolph, N. Y. 



ITALIANS rOME OUT IN COLD WEATHER MORE THAN 

 THE BLACKS. 



On cold days the Italians are out at work when the 

 blacks are not. On these cold days take some of them 

 to th ■ fire, and they will crawl as soon as they are 

 warm. There is not a week here but that bees can 

 work in winter; but the Italians try to wo k when 

 they can't get bdck safe. Some get back home, but 

 fall in front of the hive. If they are warmed they get 

 over the cold; but if not they die. 



Hamburg, La. F. M. MORGAN. 



A FLOOD FOLLOWED BY COLD WEATHER; BEES FROZEN 

 TO DEATH. 



On the 15th of November we had very high water 

 which overflowed the bottom lands I had my bees 

 up on trestles high above the water. I co'>lan't take 

 them down on account of the still threatening flood 

 conditions. Then there came a sharp freeze while the 

 river was high, and threatening. It turned so cold 

 that ice was l!:? inches thick over the ground. I find 

 my bees are all frozen to death. What had I better do 

 with the combs— melt them into wax or try to get bees 

 and queens nd put on them in the spring? I had only 

 eight hives, the flood of 1908 having washed away 35 

 for me AmuS Piatt. 



[If the combs are reasonably good we would advise 

 j'ou to buy bees and put on them in the spring. If 

 they are old or crooked, or the frames are poor or a 

 misfit, melt them up. — ED.] 



HAS Am' STOCK BEEN STLTNG AT WATERING-TROUGHS ? 



I wish to inquire if you have ever known of a case 

 where bees that have frequented the feeding-troughs 

 of swine had gotten in the fped. been swallowed with 

 it, and in turn had stung the mouth or throat of the 

 pig, causing complications that resulted in th<» speedy 

 death of the animal. Or have you ever known of pigs 

 givpn orchard range being killed by the stings of bees 

 that had been eaten along with the fallen fruit? 



Aiken, Md., Feb. 19. J FORD Sempers. 



[We do not recall a single case where any animal- 

 horse, cow, or pig— received a sting in the throat when 

 drink-ng water at a trough that bees frequented. Even 

 if the animal were stuny in the mouth we doubt very 

 much whether any serious consequences would fol- 

 low. Neither have we known of any case where pigs 

 given the range of an orchard had been stung from 

 eating apples that the bees were visiting. If any of 

 our readers know of a case of this kind, will they 

 please report? — Ed.] 



