THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



83 



if we would reap a reward. I have 

 given tlii- in time so all can profit by 

 it the present spring, except it be 

 those in the extreme south, where 

 drone brood is aln ady in abundance, 

 if not drones already hatched and fly- 

 ing. 



BoTod'wo, N. Y. 



Instructions to the Beginner. 



BY M. II DEW ITT 

 ARTIFICI l J, INCH i:\si;. ui: DIVIM i 

 A 1 : ificiii I increase should nut 1 i 

 deriaken to any gr- ai extent by ihe 

 begin in i . . ii tak< > much expei ience 

 to make n a -ucces-s. The beginner 

 can try ii on a small scale if lie wi.-h- 

 e-. and iro slow until he gets sufficient 

 ical knowledge to make it a suc- 

 c Nucli us colonies can be started 



by laking two, three or more frames 

 of hatching brood with adhering bees, 

 being sure not to take the old queen, 

 and by providing queens or queen 

 cells we can soon have several colonies 

 started ; but if these colonies are not 

 built up to good colonies by the time 

 the honey season closes we must build 

 them up "v liberal feeding. Now I 

 think the beginner will succeed better 

 to depend on swarming or natural 

 means of increase, besides there is 

 much expense in building up weak 

 colonies to good strong ones, and it 

 takes much time and attention. 



1IOW TO BUILD UP A NUCLEUS OR ARTI- 

 FICIAL COLONY. 



I will now give the reader directions 

 for building up an artificial colony, 

 and if ymi can successfully build up 

 one you can of course try as many 

 more as you choose. We will suppose 

 you have a colony of this kind you 

 want to build up to a good strong one, 

 and the honey harvest is over, which 



in most localities, or in our latitude, 

 ends about the middle of July, and 

 sometimes sooner. You should not 

 wait longer than the first of August, 

 for bear in mind that when the honey 

 flow ceases the lues often stop breed- 

 ing, or at 1 ast to a great extent, and 

 if a colony of bees does not go into 

 winter quarters with plenty of bees 

 they will be likely to dwindle out 

 when spring comes, if they do not die 

 before. Well, to get this colony to go 

 into winter quarters with plenty of 

 boos, we must go through a long 

 process of daily feeding. We will 

 need a good bee feeder. I would use 

 the simplicity. Place it over the brood 

 nost on top of the brood frames, for it 

 will not do to undertake to feed out- 

 side the hive, as it is almost sure to 

 start robbing, and it makes the bees 

 cross. Neithei would I feed during 

 day time, even inside the hive, as it 

 will excite the bees and make them 

 more or less c iss, as well as danger 

 of starting robbing. The plan is to 

 feed the bees after night, or rather, 

 just before dark give them their food 

 and they will, long before morning, 

 have the feed all taken down, and all 

 danger of robbing is averted. We 

 will now suppose it is the hist of 

 August. I would begin to feed this 

 colony just enough to keep up brood- 

 rearing. Feed one feeder full every 

 evening, all through the month of 

 August. Feed regularly if you expect 

 to keep the queen laying. The syrup 

 need not be very thick for this stimu- 

 lative feeding— say to one-half gallon 

 of sugar add water enough to make, 

 one gallon of syrup. If the bees have 

 many new combs to build they will 

 likely have consumed all you have 

 fed up to this time, and they will now 



