234 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



ANSWERS BY DR. G. L. TINKER. 



1. October 1 is soon enough to 

 feed in this locality unless the bees 

 fail to get enough honey in Sep- 

 tember to keep up moderate breed- 

 ing. 



2. I have discarded all other 

 feeders but the bottom-board feed- 

 er. A hole is bored in the back 

 end of the hive and an elbow- 

 shaped funnel inserted. The hive 

 is then tipped backward slightly 

 and blocked. The feed is poured 

 in, a pint or half pint at a time, 

 ever}' few hours till ten pints of 

 thick sj'rup are fed, which is enough 

 to last till April 15 the following 

 spring, if the colonies are well pro- 

 tected. Most of our hives have a 

 hole bored in one end of the " un- 

 der cover " to the brood frames, 

 and the feeding is done through it. 

 A bottom-board made like that of 

 the Bay State hive makes a splen- 

 did feeder. I make all loose bot- 

 tom-boards with a raised rim so 

 that may be used for feeding. 



3. It is not necessary that the 

 syrup be capped in the combs for 

 bees to Avinter well. It is much 

 more important that the colony is 

 well protected. The feeding should 

 all be done in this locality by 

 October 15th. 



ANSWERS BY J. E. POND. 



1. Commence feeding at once so 

 that the brood-nest may be fully 

 formed at as early a date as possi- 

 ble. 



2. Use frames the upper third or 

 half of which are (illed with capped 

 stores. In the absence of such 

 combs use any good feeder of large 

 size, and feed pure honey, or sugar 

 syrup. 



3. Most certainly. For mj^self, 

 I want all feeding tor winter stores 

 finished up In' the first of October 

 sure ; but as seasons vary I take 

 golden rod as a guide, and finish 

 feeding by the time it ceases to 

 yield nectar. 



ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY. 



1. Don't put off" feeding later 

 than September 1, unless as much 

 syrup as the bees will need during 

 tlie winter can be given them at one 

 time. If only a few pounds can 

 be supplied each day, feeding should 

 be begun early. 



Feeding bees induces brood-rear- 

 ing. If feeding is put otf till Oct. 

 1, .young bees will be reared ; they 

 will not take a flight till they are 

 ten days or two weeks old, that 

 would take the season to Novem- 

 ber, and at that time many bee- 

 keepers have their bees prepared for 

 Avinter and in some localities bees 

 have no chance for a flight after 

 Nov. 1. In such a case the young 

 bees reared after Oct. 1 would be 

 the means of destroying the colony 

 before spring. 



I do not think it is a good idea 

 to keep a colony excited during 

 the month of October by feeding. 

 A colony fed late will not winter 

 well. Bees should not rear brood 

 in October under any conditions. 



2. I find nothing as good and 

 convenient as the Mason fruit-jar 

 for feeding bees. Get jars that will 

 hold two quarts, those having all 

 metal tips ; with a wire nail or an 

 awl, punch from six to twelve holes 

 in the metal. Fill the jar and turn 

 it bottom upwards over a one and 

 a half-inch hole in the honey-board 

 or top of the hive so that the bees 

 can take the food from under the 

 feeder. A good colony will take 

 half a gallon in less than twenty- 

 four hours. Should it rain, no 

 water can get in the feeder or into 

 the hive, provided the hole is made 

 in the honey-board net far from the 

 back end. 



The best granulated sugar is 

 none too good to feed bees. To 

 each ten pounds of sugar add three 

 quarts of water and when the sugar 

 is thoroughly dissolved fill the feed- 

 ers. Have the syrup as near the 



