56 



TUE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



nocuous, remained unsealed in tlie cells till it 

 became sligMly acid, or imderwent partial fer- 

 mentation. For winter or spring food, particu- 

 larly after brooding has commenced, such honey 

 is decidedly bad, as weakening the mature work- 

 ers and destroying the larvae fed therewith. 



But bees may perish likewise from Avant of wa- 

 ter. This will be the case when the honey in the 

 comb has become candied, or even only greatly 

 inspissated, and there is not sufl3cient moisture 

 condensed in the hive, while brooding is sus- 

 pended, for the wants of the bees, which they 

 may lick up and use. Bat hives may be so badly 

 constructed that condensation does not take 

 place in them, and in sucli the bees suffer great- 

 ly, unless the weather is so moderate, at least 

 at frequent intervals, as to enable them to fly 

 and procure water from out-door sources. Thus 

 they are often seen, even in mid-winter, on 

 mild days, sipping water at pumps, pools, and 

 fountains — a sure indication that they are in 

 great need of it at home. The hive from which 

 they came can be ascertained by sprinkling 

 them with flour, and their wants should be sup- 

 plied by introducing a piece of wet sponge be- 

 tween the combs, or placing it over their loin- 

 terseat, if the construction of the hive admit of 

 it. 



Manj^ colonies, also, perish, or arc greatly 

 reduced in population, by dysentery, which 

 usually makes its appearance towards the close 

 of winter or early in spring. At its origin it 

 can scarcely be called a disease, though, under 

 favoring circumstances, it may rapidly spread 

 and soon assume a virulent type. When it oc- 

 curs late in the winter, it is usually arrested at 

 ouce, if the weather moderates sufficiently to 

 permit the bees to fly; and the injury result- 

 ing, however much to be regretted — for at tliat 

 season especially the life of every individual 

 worker is precious in the sight of a bee-keeper 

 — is not so serious, as when it attacks a colony in 

 mid-winter, while stress of weather keeps the bees 

 in protracted confinement. Dysentery may be, 

 and in some seasons and districts doubtless is, 

 superinduced by the consumption of deleterious 

 honey, such as has already been referred to. A 

 remedy for this has been found, in several cases, 

 even in the dead of Avinter, by removing the 

 hive into a warm room and placing over and 

 around it an ample frame-work covered with 

 millinet to keep the bees confined, or a large 

 box having one end made of fine-meshed Avoven 

 wire. The bees soon came forth, discharged 

 their faeces within the enclosure, and were then 



liberally fed with pure honey. Thereupon, 

 when the temperature was reduced and the 

 room darkened, the bees re-entered tlieir hive, 

 Avhich was then replaced on its stand. This of 

 course involved some trouble and expense, but 

 it saved the bees. 



Hunger, thirst, and dysentery being the chief 

 causes of the loss of colonies in winter, what 

 should be done by the provident apiarian to 

 guard against damage from them? 



In the first place an ample supply of food 

 must be guaranteed. All the hives should be 

 thoroughly examined in September, and to those 

 which have not stores enough to support them, 

 in any event, to the first of May, should at once 

 have the deficiency supplied. In cottage hives 

 this may be done by careful and judicious feed- 

 ing; and so likcAA'ise in movable comb hives, 

 unless a supply of frames containing sealed ho- 

 ney in the combs is on hand and can be in- 

 serted. Give them a liberal allovrance — a little 

 more than enough will do no harm; and if by 

 feeding give it to them thus early, that they may 

 have time to dispose of it properly and cap that 

 which is not immediately needed. But this is 

 not all. See that your bees can at all times, 

 even in the coldest weather, have ready access 

 to their stores. To this end it is desirable that 

 a large proportion of their supplies be deposited 

 above the place selected by them for their iciii- 

 terseat, or that it can subsequently be reached, 

 by easy moA'^ement, however low the external 

 temperature may be. They naturally and in- 

 stinctively place their supplies oA'erhead, and 

 seek for them there when and as needed. Hence 

 they commonly winter better in standard or 

 vertical hives than in flat, shalloAV, or horizon- 

 tal ones. With plentiful supplies directly over- 

 head, bees are not likely to suffer, but when the 

 stores are placed laterally in the hive, they may 

 be inaccessible to the bees, in cold weather, un- 

 less care be taken to proA'ide winter passages in 

 the combs. Without these the bees may perish 

 in the midst of unavailable abundance. 



The next requisite is a supply of moisture or 

 water during Avinter, for the dilution of thick 

 old honey, and the solution of such as has be- 

 come candied. Hives containing honey gath- 

 ered in the preceding summer, are not likely to 

 suffer from v/ant of Avater, so long as the bees re- 

 main inactive and quietly clustered. But when 

 once brooding has actiA'cly commenced, the case 

 is materially altered and becomes more critical. 

 Larger and constant supplies of Avater are tlieu 

 indispensable, and must be at hand or the brood 



