24 



THE AMERICAN APIGULTUEIST. 



Why does Dr. Tinker persist in say- 

 ing that a queen-excluder is necessary 

 under the boxes? We find no use for 

 them excepting between brood-cham- 

 bers or' under the brood-chamber next 

 to bottom-board, to prevent the queen 

 from getting out in our double entrance 

 swarm controller. 



Somebody wants to know what to do 

 to the bees this month. I generally 

 refer them to the text books, but there 

 is something not written there which 

 needs attention about now, and that is : 

 Prepare your orders for supplies as far 

 as you can. Do not delay ordering if 

 you know just what you will need. 



If for any purpose one needs young 

 bees to strengthen up nuclei or make 

 colonies, the plan given by Mr. A. C. 

 Tyrrel in Jan. Api is good. We have 

 experimented a great deal in this line 

 and have settled upon what we call the 

 most practical plan for securing young 

 bees to build up weak nuclei. We have 

 a sort of wire-net bee tent to fit the top 

 of our hive ; at the apex is adjusted a 

 wire trap with a cone, such as used on 

 the Alley Swarmer. About the time of 

 day young bees are out for a play spell, 

 we throw the cover of a strong col- 

 ony and attach the above arrangement 

 to the top of the hive and leave it for 

 an hour or so. In this manner we can 

 draw from a good strong stock quite a 

 large number of young bees that will 

 stay where they are put, and we find 

 that the loss is not apparent. By shift- 

 ing the tent from hive to hive we can 

 catch up enough bees to make a good 

 swarm. Give them a young queen and 

 hive them like a natural swarm, and 

 they will do first rate if there is a good 

 honey flow. -^ 



The feet that the self-hiver can be 

 utilized for a drone-and queen trap, 

 and makes a trap rather better than the 

 old style, will make it popular with all 

 beekeepers. 



SYRUP FOR FEEDING BEES. 



Syrup for bees can be made of any 

 cheaper grades of sugar, but when feed- 

 ing for winter stores, by all means use 

 the best grade of granulated sugar. 

 Take, say twelve pounds of sugar and 

 four pounds of water, and bring it to a 

 boil ; this will make a syrup of the prop- 

 er consistency. 



I have repeatedly tried tartaric acid 

 to prevent the granulation, but have not 

 been able to notice any benefit, and do 

 not recommend it ; however, if about two 

 pounds of extracted honey are stirred 

 in as you lift the syrup from the fire, 

 it will do more to retard granulation in 

 the combs than anything 1 know of; it 

 will also impart the honey flavor to the 

 syrup, thus making it sought after by 

 the bees. I notice that some of our 

 friends entertain the idea that by adding 

 more water to the syrup it will go 

 farther. 



This is an erroneous idea ; the bees 

 will evaporate the water and reduce it 

 to a thickness consistent with keeping 

 qualities. If the bees were deprived of 

 this faculty, watery sweets would be- 

 come sour and rancid in their cells. — ■ 

 Indiana Farmer. 



Two or three pounds of c;ooil honpy 

 added to the above amount, of syrup will 

 prevent fininulation. Tlieii a'.iain, four 

 pounds of water is not enough to dis- 

 solve twelve pounds of sug-ar. Add two 

 pounds more water. — Ed ] 



CANDY FOR BEES IN WINTER. 



It often occurs that winter overtakes 

 us with colonies that lack food. In 

 such cases we cannot possibly use syrup 

 for food, as the weather is too cold for 

 the bees to seal it over, and unsealed 

 stores will not serve properly for win- 

 ter. The moisture which always arises 

 from the bees in cold weather, enters 

 the unsealed honey and dilutes it, mak- 

 ing it very unwholesome. Our only re- 

 sort, therefore, for feeding in cold weath- 

 er, is to make candy and use it. This is 

 a very good and healthful food, if prop- 

 erly made and administered. 



It is made from granulated sugar by 

 melting it, adding a little water — no 



