PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE W T FALCONER MANFG CO 



VOL. V. 



OCTOBER, 1895. 



NO. lO. 



Feeding by Filling Empty 

 Combs with Syrup. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



I am requested to give an article 

 in the American Bee Keeper on how 

 to fill empty combs with sugar syrup, 

 so that the bees may be wintered upon 

 them, the correspondent saying, " It 

 now looks as if I should have to feed 

 the bees for winter'." I have imploy- 

 ed three different ways in filling 

 empty combs with sugar syrup, either 

 of which is practical in accordance 

 with the number to be filled. The 

 object in filling combs, is the feeding 

 of the bees in the most desirable man- 

 ner, when they need feeding. That 

 combs well filled with sugar or syrup, 

 ready to be placed in the hive when 

 needed, is the best way to feed bees, 

 for any and all purposes, I think no 

 one will deny. For stimulating pur- 

 poses I generally set such filled combs, 

 one at a time, in the center of the 

 brood-nest, as the bees can cover them, 

 and the queen can fill them with eggs. 

 If it is thought that the bees are 

 stimulated to greater degree when they 

 they have to carry the syrup or honey 

 as they do from a feeder, the filled 

 combs can be placed on the outside of 

 the brood-nest, as far from the bees as 



the hive will admit of ; but after try- 

 ing all way?:, 1 prefer the first given. 

 For winter feeding, the combs should 

 be filled as full as possible, and enough 

 placed in the hive at one time for the 

 wants of the bees during the time 

 they remain inactive. Syrup for 

 stimulative feeding should be made 

 by placing two pounds of granulated 

 sugar in a tin vessel and pouring one 

 pound of boiling water upon it, stir- 

 ring till the sugar is dissolved. For 

 winter stores I put fifteen pounds of 

 water in a suitable sized tin vessel and 

 bring it to a boil. When it boils I 

 stir in thirty pounds of granulated 

 sugar, and bring to a boil again, when 

 the whole is set from the fire, and five 

 pounds of honey stirred in. This 

 makes fifty pounds of the best food 

 for wintering of any I know of. 

 When cool any of the above is ready 

 for the combs, with this explanation 

 we are ready to proceed as to how to 

 fill the combs. If but few are to be 

 filled, say ten or twenty, all that is 

 needed is an extractor can, wash boil- 

 er, or any deep tin dish in which to 

 lay the combs, and a large tea or cof- 

 fee pot. Fix some sticks or some ar- 

 rangement to keep the combs two or 

 three inches up from the bottom of 



