1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



55 



Spring Management off Bees. 



BY F. B. D. 



During this month the bee keeper 

 should take advantage of every warm 

 spell of weather and examine every 

 colony of bees and see how they are 

 getting along and wintering. If any 

 are found short of stores, insert a 

 frame filled with sugar syrup near the 

 cluster. In the southern states spring 

 management may be commenced at 

 this time. Do not let a few days of 

 pleasant weather cause you to move 

 or disturb your bees that are housed 

 up in their winters quarters. Neither 

 would it be advisable to remove the 

 packing from those on their summer 

 stands, for during this and next mouth 

 more protection than ever is needed, 

 because their numbers are getting less, 

 and they are commencing to breed 

 more rapidly. Disturb the bees as 

 little as possible and be careful when 

 you open your bees not to get any of 

 the brood chilled that they may have 

 started. Tuck them u]) as warm as 

 you possible can, and keep them well 

 supplied with honey as their stores 

 will disappear as if by magic during 

 now and the late spring months. 

 March is the most disagreeable month 

 in the spring or winter on bees, with 

 the alternate sunshine and clouds, 

 together with the cold winds, destroy 

 thousands of bees by alluring them 

 out of the hive and chilling them so 

 they are unable to return. Right here 

 I wish to say,that this is the main cause 

 for spring dwindling, which is so much 

 to be feared by us northern bee keep- 

 ers. It is almost impossible to pre- 

 vent the bees from coming out of 

 their hives when the sun is warm, even 

 though the air is cold. There are, 

 however, some fine days in March, 



and these should be utilized to their 

 full extent by the bees. 



If your hives have no pollen in the 

 combs which is necessary if you want 

 your bees to rear any brood, you had 

 better feed your bees rye meal. You 

 can do it by placing it in shallow boxes 

 in a sunny spot near the apiary. They 

 will soon find it and carry it in large 

 quantities into the hives for food for 

 the young brood that they have start- 

 ed. This is especially necessary if 

 your bees have no pollen, as they can't 

 rear any brood without they have 

 pollen or a substitute for pollen. 



Order your supplies now, before the 

 rush comes in early spring. You can 

 guess pretty well what you will need, 

 and if you have a few hives too many 

 your friends will want some also. 

 Have your hives all nailed and paint- 

 ed with foundation in sections and 

 starters, or full sheets wired in your 

 brood frames. I would use full sheets 

 in the brood frames, and wire your 

 frames as you will find this important 

 if you run your bees for extracted 

 honey, as the new combs will not stand 

 the weight of the honey without them 

 being wired to make them strong. 

 Your sections should be filled with 

 thin surplus foundation ready for the 

 bees. Do all this work during the 

 winter befora the busy time in the 

 season comes with your bees. The 

 new swarms should be hived either on 

 empty combs that have been built the 

 previous season or on full sheets of 

 foundation, as I find they will make 

 a good deal more surplus honey by 

 this method. 



The American Bee-Keeper until 

 January, 1896, for only 35 cents to 

 new subscribers. 



