iiii BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW. 



93 



Abridged Methodic in Spring Management. 



I.. A. AsriNWALIi. 



Vv^rlTH bees pro- 

 Aa perly winter- 

 ed, spring work is 

 largely minimized. 

 Ample store?, the 

 first requisite to 

 successful winter- 

 ing, usually obvi- 

 ates any necessity 

 for feeding at this 

 season, unless the 

 weather following 

 fruit bloom should 

 prove unfavorable to the tiight of bees. 



After a bountiful yield of nectar from the 

 golden willow, sugar maple and fruit blos- 

 soms, which rapidly succeed each other in 

 this section, strong colonies will have in- 

 creased sufficiently to fill and sometimes 

 overflow the hives. Such colonies invaria- 

 bly possess vigorous queens and usually ex- 

 tend the brood to all but the outside combs 

 in single-wall hives. With hives of warmer 

 construction, the brood area with be still 

 larger. The outside frames will often con- 

 tain from O'e quarter to a full comb of 

 brood. I refer to eight-frame hives. 



Following fruit bloom we have in most 

 parts of Michigan and New York State a lull 

 in the honey flow for a period of at least two 

 or three weeks. With but little nectar ob- 

 tainable, a cold spell is likely to bring about 

 starvation of the brood and possibly of the 

 colony, unless avoided by vigilance of the 

 bee keeper. 



It is convenient to inspect a colony when 

 accessible by a movable side. A glance 

 will reveal the situation without the re- 

 moval of a frame or material disturb- 

 ance of the colony. By such an arrange- 

 ment the work is largely minimized. My 

 hive entrances are contracted to the ex- 

 treme right instead of iM-ing located central- 

 ly in the front. By this arrangement the 

 combs adjusted to the removal side ( which 

 is on the left ) are certain to contain honey 

 if any be found in the hive. I will treat the 

 subject of entrance location more fully in 

 another paragraph. 



Let us note that the strongest colonies are 

 often the most likely lo become impover- 

 ished at this season. Stimulated by the 

 early flow of nectar, extended brood rear- 



ing takes place, which, with a sudden col- 

 lapse of apple bloom, causes a heavy drain 

 upon the stores which are located at the top 

 and corners of each comb, together with an 

 additional quantity in the one adjoining the 

 movable side when the side entrance is used; 

 or both outer ones when the entrance is 

 centrally located. The cells upon being 

 emptied are quickly occupied and filled with 

 eggs by vigorous queens. Bees being pos- 

 sessed with an instinctive energy peculiar to 

 springtime, are more reluctant to curtail 

 brood rearing than later in the season, 

 hence, are often overtaken with disaster. 

 We ought not to forget that under natural 

 circumstances, with an abundance of room, 

 bees will provide themselves with sufficient 

 stores to tide over such periods of failure. 

 We have separated the brood and storage by 

 constructing separate apartments, enabling 

 us to appropriate their stores for our bene- 

 fit, hence are under obliagtions to protect 

 and otherwise provide for the creatures in- 

 trusted to our care. 



With the necessity of feeding at this sea- 

 on, the method should be carefully consid- 

 ered. After a short period of activity with 

 starvation in view, the propensity to rob is 

 much increased. I seldom resort to the use 

 of a feeder at this season of the year. Combs 

 of honey are the safest and most economi- 

 cally provided. A well filled comb care- 

 fully placed in the hive towards evening, is 

 a safeguard against robbing, and prevents 

 any undue stimulation to increased breed- 

 ing; furthermore the work is largely minim- 

 mized. 



Having considered the matter of feeding 

 in spring management, let us begin with 

 the opening of spring and attend to the vari- 

 ous requirements as they follow in suc- 

 cession. 



Towards the close of cold weather the bot- 

 tom boards of ordinary hives should be 

 cleaned. My hives are provided with a filth 

 or dead air chamber which can be emptied 

 in about one minute. This accomplished, no 

 further work will be necessary until sugar 

 maple and apple l)lo8soms appear. 



Being an advocate for spring protection I 

 invariably leave the removable packing of 

 my hives until the trees are fully leaved out. 

 Colonies well protected maybe found loose- 

 ly clustered and much of the time occupy- 

 iny most of the combs, while those in single- 

 wall hives retain the globular form thougti 

 less compact than in winter. 



