GLEANINGS' IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1918 



sugar is to be placed in the hands of the 

 secretary of the Ohio State Beekeepers' As- 

 sociation, Prof. Jas. S. Hfiie, of Columbus. 

 While this amount of sugar may not take 

 care of Ohio beekeepers, more can be se- 

 cured, doubtless, if needed. Prof. Hine hay 

 kindly consented to disburse this sugar to 

 beekeepers who make application direct to 

 him, care of the Ohio State University at 

 Columbus, in amounts equal to a pound of 

 sugar per colony, for only such colonies as 

 are actually running short of stores. The 

 sugar will be furnished at cost, plus wrap- 

 ping and postage when sent by mail, but 

 cash in every case must accompany the or- 

 der. Beekeepers within reach should go 

 after the sugar by train, by trolley, or by 

 automobile. On account of the congestion 

 of freight or express, the sugar niay 

 have to be obtained thru parcel post, if the 

 beekeeper cannot secure it in person. If 

 the sugar is needed at once, don't order by 

 freight or exjiress. Go after it or have it 

 sent by parcel post. Your postmaster can 

 tell you how much extra remittance to make 

 for postage. 



It is to be remembered that sugar from 

 Columbus (diverted for beekeepers' use by 

 the Ohio Department of the U. S. Food Ad- 

 luinistration) can be furnished to Ohio bee- 

 keepers only. Each state must take care of 

 its own beekeepers, as we now understand 

 it. But what Ohio has done other states can 

 and should do at once. The Editor of Glean- 

 ings expects to go to Washington on a spe- 

 cial trip to see if some similar arrangements 

 can not be effected with every state in the 

 Union where there is any considerable num- 

 ber of beekeepers needing sugar. In the 

 meantime you are urged to write to the 

 state division of the U. S. Food Administra- 

 tion at your state capital to furnish you 

 sugar for your immediate needs. If you can 

 not make satisfactory arrangements locally, 

 write to us. We may (or may not) be able 

 to help you — but we will try to do so. 



MANY COLONIES went into winter quar- 

 ters last fall short of stores on account of 

 the fact that it was 

 Winter impossible to get 



Feeding and sugar just before. 

 Disturbance. the bees were put 

 away for the win- 

 ter. There are hundreds and perhaps thou- 

 sands of beekeepers who fear that even be- 

 fore spring some of their colonies will starve, 

 and they would like to feed them during 

 mid-winter. There are others who hold that 

 winter disturbance will do more harm than 

 good; that opening up a colony during mid- 

 winter will so arouse it that it would not get 

 back to normal and the result would be dys- 

 entery b}'^ spring. 



Feeding sugar syrup during wid-wint'-r 

 or cold weather would be worse than useless 

 as it should only be given when the bees 

 can fly, once or twice a week. Hard candy, 

 or, in fact, any kind of candy, is better to 



give a colony of bees in winter or early 

 spring than syrup. The best food of all is 

 frames of natural sealed stores. During cold 

 weather a comb of such stores, if necessary to 

 give, should be laid flat on top of the brood 

 nest, because it is not advisable to breaK 

 the cluster. Whether a comb of natural 

 stores or a cake of candy is given, the leed 

 should be put on top. A couple of cleat j 

 of wood should be laid across under the como 

 or candy, and a couple on toji, after which 

 the packing is put over. 



Almost any candy can be given to bees, 

 but the hard candy that has given us the 

 best lesults is that made from granulated 

 sugar, and nullomoline, which is an invert 

 sugar having a composition quite similar to 

 that of honey. The object of using this in- 

 vert sugar is to prevent the candy from 

 scorching. It can usually be obtained from 

 the Nullomoline Co., New York, but when 

 for any reason it cannot, the same recipe 

 may be employed by using at least four 

 parts of sugar to one of water. This candy 

 is made as follows: 



The sugar used in this recipe is composed 

 of 1 part of nullomoline to 12 jDarts of gran- 

 ulated sugar. Into a dish of hot water on 

 the stove slowly pour and constantly stir as 

 much of this mixed sugar as will readily dis- 

 solve before boiling commences (about four 

 to one). If any remains undissolved, it is 

 likely to burn, injuring the flavor of the 

 candy and thus causing the bees to have 

 dysentery later. The sides of the vessel 

 should be wiped off frequently to prevent 

 particles of candy from hardening there ind 

 scorching. If one has a candy ther- 

 mometer, bring the temperature to 275 de- 

 grees. If no thermometer is available, watch 

 the candy very closely, testing frequently 

 by drojaping a very little of the syrup into 

 cold water (about 50 to 55 degrees F.). 

 When the boiling has continued long enough, 

 the drop of candy, after cooling in the 

 water, should be hard and brittle when taken 

 out; but when placed in the mouth it should 

 soften slightly. When the right stage is 

 reached, pour the syrup immediately into 

 paper plates or other paraffined or waxed 

 dishes that hold the required amount for 

 one feeding, making the cakes about i/4 inch 

 in thickness. When cold the candy should 

 be amber in color, hard and glassy, and per- 

 fectly transparent. 



A regular fondant, using glucose and pow- 

 dered sugar has been recommended by Dr. 

 Gates of the apicultural school at Amherst, 

 Mass. This is generally known tliruont 

 New England as Fuller's candy. It is made 

 as follows: 



Take of granulated sugar 12 lbs.; glucose, 

 such as the candy-makers use, 1% lbs.; 

 water, IVi quarts; cream of tartar, 1/3 tea- 

 spoonful. The cream of tartar, water and 

 glucose are put together in a kettle and heat- 

 ed. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, 

 the sugar is added little by little until it is 

 all incorjjorated. During the process of ad- 

 ding the sugar the candy is continually 



