662 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL,. 



Building Up Colonies for 

 Honey-FIou^. 



the 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 ^Y K. F. HOLTERMANN 



The late meeting of our county bee- 

 keepers' association and an address 

 upon the above subject by the able 

 President of our Ontario Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, Mr. F. A. Gemmill, of 

 Stratford, Ont., has brought several 

 questions before me. Being in the chair 

 upon that occasion, I was unable to ex- 

 press my views ; the subject being sea- 

 sonable, permit me to say a few words. 



There is nothing like natural stores 

 for bees during the spring of the year — 

 plenty of honey given the previous au- 

 tumn is the best way of feeding a colony 

 in the spring ; but if there is not an 

 abundance of honey in the hive, ?ind 

 sealed combs of honey cannot be given, 

 I should say, give the weak colonies 

 sealed stores out of the strong, and feed 

 the strong colonies a syrup made of 

 equal parts of sugar and water, with the 

 slight addition of honey. The honey fed 

 should first be well boiled, particularly 

 is this advisable if the honey is not your 

 own, but even if it is, you may have foul 

 brood in the apiary without knowing it, 

 and when with a little care risk may be 

 avoided, do so. 



To feed from the top by means of a 

 Hill or Gem feeder, is probably the bet- 

 • ter way. Mr. Gemmill cuts a hole in 

 the quilt, and upon this places a piece 

 of wire-cloth nailed on, and a rim upon 

 this ; the feeder is inverted, and the 

 bees can take the food through the wire- 

 cloth, but cannot fly up when the feeder 

 is removed for the purpose of refilling. 



No colony can be too strong for the 

 honey-flow, or too early. If the bees 

 cannot remain contentedly in the body 

 of the hive, I put on a super, allowing 

 the queen full swing in it, and if this is 

 not sufficient, I add supers. At the be- 

 ginning of the honey-flow the queen 

 can, by changing a few combs, be con- 

 fined below the queen-excluder, in the 

 body of the hive. Any surplus from 

 spring blossoms is better consumed in 

 brood-rearing than to extract it and 

 throw it upon the market at a low 

 figure. 



Unless one colony is queenless, it is 

 perhaps not well to unite— sooner build 

 up weak colonies, and near the honey- 

 flow unite them, or the brood. To build 

 up weak colonies at the expense of the 

 strong, should never be dreamed of. 



I would like to have all colonies 



packed above during the spring, and 

 until all danger from cold nights has 

 passed away ; but it is quite a trouble 

 and expense, and I cannot always do as 

 I would like to do. This spring I have 

 used on top, first the sealed cover, then 

 one or two thicknesses of paper, finally 

 a cushion filled with absorbents or min- 

 eral wool. I have an idea, if the cost is 

 not too great, and I think not, that this 

 article has a great future before it, for 

 the purpose of winter and spring pack- 

 ing of bees. The above protection, with 

 a properly regulated entrance, is all I 

 give a strong colony. 



The weaker ones I try to pack in win- 

 ter cases, and in this way help them to 

 make the best use of the warmth they 

 produce. Some would argue that when 

 a colony is weak in the spring, the in- 

 dications are that the queen is a poor 

 one. There can surely be no reason 

 why this should be the case. There is 

 no necessity for destroying such a 

 queen — she may be good, and she may 

 not, and the question should be tested 

 before coming to a conclusion. 



Many, very many, have failed to make 

 a success of spreading brood. No novice 

 should attempt such until settled warm 

 weather, and even then it should be un- 

 dertaken with caution. As a rule, the 

 colony will enlarge the brood-chamber 

 quickly enough, but there is a time 

 when, to a certain extent, spreading 

 brood can be practiced with success. 

 The best method is to turn the combs 

 on the outer side of the cluster ; about 

 that is the sides towards the center of 

 the hive turned towards the outer side. 

 By so spreading it is done gradually, 

 and no great harm can result. 



Brantford, Ont. 



COWYEKTIOiy DIRECTORY. 



1893. 



Time and place of meeting. 



May 25.— Capital, at Springfield, Ills. 



C. E. yocom, Sec, Sherman, Ills. 



June 16, 17.— S. E. Kansas, at Bronson, Kans. 

 J. C. Balch, Sec, Bronson, Kans. 



Oct. 11, 12, 13.— North American (Interna- 

 tional), at Chicago, Ills. 

 Frank Benton, Sec. Washington, D. C. 



In order to have this table complete, 



Becretaries are requested to forward full 

 particulars of the time and the place of 

 each future meeting.— The Editor. 



North American Bee-Keepers' Assoolatlon 



President— Dr. C. C. MUler Marengo, Ills. 



Vice-Pres.— J. E. Crane Middlebury , Vt. 



Secretary— -Frank Benton, Washington, D. C. 

 Treasurer— George W. York... Chicago, Ills. 



