258 Beekeeping 



best to unite these with normal colonies, although queens 

 may now be obtained early from southern breeders. He 

 should also examine the stores, for bees require large amounts 

 of food during the spring and, while they usually get consid- 

 erable nectar, it rarely is enough to provide stores for exces- 

 sive breeding. If food is needed, it may be given rapidly 

 in the form of a thick sugar syrup, or it is even better to give 

 combs of honey. If hives are soiled with the spottings of 

 dysentery or if there are dead bees present, the hives may be 

 cleaned out somewhat, but the first examination should be 

 brief, unless the weather is exceptionally warm. 



Spring dwindling. 



The old bees die rapidly and are replaced by young bees, 

 which, in a good colony, emerge more rapidly than the old 

 ones disappear. If, on the contrary, mortality among the 

 old bees exceeds the rate of emergence, the condition arises 

 which is known as spring dwindling. Obviously, prevention 

 is better than treatment, but by giving extra protection and 

 by making the collection of stores unnecessary by feeding, 

 the energy of the old bees may be conserved so that it is 

 utilized chiefly in rearing brood and the colony may often 

 be saved. The brood-chamber may also be reduced to con- 

 serve the heat of the cluster. 



Need of water. 



Bees need water for brood-rearing and it sometimes hap- 

 pens in the spring that bees are lost in trying to obtain it. 

 If there is no water close at hand, it is often advantageous 

 to provide a watering place in a warm sheltered spot in or 

 near the apiary. 



Uniting. 



If exceptionally weak colonies are found, it is economy 

 not to attempt to build them up, but to unite them. In 

 uniting colonies in the spring, two weak colonies should 

 not be placed together, but a weak colony should be placed 



