.S'KrTK.MBKU. 1918 



GLEANINGS IN B E K U L T U R E 



j)oiiii(ls requisite should be supplied in tlie 

 form of sugar syrup. If good sugar cannot 

 be obtained, one may perliaps be able to get 

 enough damaged sugar for this final feed. 

 Easy Method of Feeding. 

 Among a number of good feeders ou the 

 market we shall mention only one — the fric- 

 tion-top feeder which has been fast coming 

 into favor during recent years. These are 

 ordinary five or ten-pound friction-top pails 

 having the lids punctured with about 130 

 holes made with three-penny nails (punc- 

 tured by machinery if so ordered). The 

 feeders are filled with a syrup — two or two 

 and a half parts of sugar to one of water, 

 tlie density depending upon the lateness of 

 the season — the later, the denser. In cold 

 weather the syrup should be quite thick and 

 warm. Over the colony to be fed, an empty 

 super is placed, and one of these friction- 

 top pails of syrup inverted immediately 

 over the cluster, and covered snugly with 

 an old sack to prevent the heat of the 

 cluster from escaping above. A still handier 

 ■way is to place between the empty super 

 and brood-chamber an escape-board from 

 which the escape has been removed, and in- 

 vert the feeder over the hole. Some strong- 

 colonies will take the contents of a ten- 

 pound pail in a day. If not taken as rapid- 

 ly as it should be, the residue of the cold 

 feed should be removed and replaced by 

 warm syrup. 



Moving Purchased Swarms. 

 In the May issue we advised buying new 

 swarms, to be hived and kept by the farm- 

 er until fall. This month would be a good 



time to move such colonies home. (See 

 "Moving the Bees," May Gleanings, page 

 ;503.) If very warm weather, it may be 

 necessary to screen the bottom as well as 

 the top, and to dampen down the bees with 

 cold water whenever they begin crowding 

 the screen. These bees should be shut in 

 very early in the morning or late at night 

 when no bees are in the field. If clustered 

 out in front they should be smoked into 

 the hive before screening the entrance. On 

 arrival at the new location the bees may 

 be helped in marking their new location by 

 placing weeds or brush in front of the en- 

 trance for a few days. 



Moths in Combs. 

 There is one other important item • of 

 September work that should not be neglect- 

 ed. The extracting-combs, after the bees 

 have cleaned them out, were doubtless piled 

 in neat piles in the honey-house, care having 

 been taken to leave no opening large 

 enough for the access of the moth miller. 

 During hot weather, every two weeks or 

 even oftener, these should be examined for 

 wax worms. At their first appearance such 

 combs should be placed over strong colo- 

 nies, which will soon clean out the worms. 

 Any one who neglects these combs until 

 they are badly affected will probably be 

 obliged to resort to the bisulphide treat- 

 ment, as given in the August issue, page 

 491. It should be remembered that combs 

 are very valuable property for the bee- 

 keeper; and the possession of combs instead 

 of foundation means many more pounds 

 of honey the coming season. 



The five- or ten-pound friction-top pail with lid punctured is filled with syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 Pa^t 



water), the lid put on tight, the pail invea-ted within an empty super directly on the top bars of the brood 



frames above the center of the brood nest, and covered with an old sack or blanket ; th«n the hive cover 



is put on and the bees left to feed at leisure. 



